


Coffee and Sadness

by EspadaIV, JKRobertson



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bakery and Coffee Shop, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Human Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, Human Ulquiorra Cifer, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, Male Friendship, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Orihime as an art student, Orihime as an intern, Orphans, Porn with Feelings, Possibly Unrequited Love, Post-High School, Secret Relationship, Sexual Coercion, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Unrequited Love, barista Ulquiorra, business grimmjow, grimmhime - Freeform, hidden past, lovechild, male promiscuity, naive orihime, ulquihime, ulquihime slowburn, workaholics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:35:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 178,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21844549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EspadaIV/pseuds/EspadaIV, https://archiveofourown.org/users/JKRobertson/pseuds/JKRobertson
Summary: Aspiring illustrator, Orihime Inoue, was in her final year of college with a great, paid internship. She was banging one of her superiors. She had eye candy at the coffee shop across the street in the form of its owner, Ulquiorra Cifer.Things become complicated for the young woman as she develops feelings for both men in her life.Seems like the only constant thing in her life has always been coffee and sadness.
Relationships: Inoue Orihime/Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, Ulquiorra Cifer/Inoue Orihime
Comments: 262
Kudos: 110





	1. S’mores and Cookies & Cream

**1 S’mores and Cookies &Cream**

**Espresso.IV posted:**

_It’s August! That means we’ve changed the menu again! S’mores and Cookies & Cream stuff. Stop by #CoffeeandSadness. #coffee #advertising #EvanstonIL #smallbusiness #givememyURL #givememybusinessnametoo _

Ulquiorra posted this message on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr on August 1st. By the end of August, on the 29th at ten am, the coffee shop was packed and there was a line starting out the door. “C’mon! Let’s do this, people. We’ve got thirsty people waiting for things,” the green-eyed, black haired man said as he moved behind the drink counter to get to the register.

There were six people working today, including himself. They shouldn’t be this behind. 

“Yeah, can I, uh, get, uh...” The blonde customer looked up at the menu board and squinted. Her train of thought seemed to derail, or maybe her brain just stopped working. 

Ulquiorra blinked, then sighed. “Hey, can you speed up your order a bit, or stand to the side to let someone who knows what they want order?”

There was a dirty glance. “Do you know who I am? I should speak to your manager!”

His face remained a passive expression. His manager? Ha. “What do you want?”

“Uh… An iced latte with a shot of vanilla and oatmilk. Extra ice and a sweetner.”

His pale fingers tapped the screen to input the order and then said as the sticker printed out. “That will be five dollars. Name?”

“God this place is expensive but if it wasn’t good I wouldn’t come here because the customer service sucks,” the woman said.

“That’s nice. Name?”

“Kim.”

Ulquiorra took the credit card and swiped it. Kim was written on the cup. He passed it to an underling who started making the order. “Next!”

On and on it went until around one o'clock when one of his favorite ladies walked in. “Opal! Black coffee with one sweetener. Two dollars.” It was the only time he showed inflection in his voice. Opal Walker was an old lady who reminded him of his mother’s mother before she passed. She had a cane and a sharp tongue. She had whacked Ulquiorra with the cane a couple of times. She handed over those two dollars and Ulquiorra gave her a smirk before he handed over the drink. The woman was like clockwork. Everyday at one she’d walk in.

Usually after his afternoon break in would trickle high schoolers with some cash to burn and college students. There would be the office zombies or the gofers who needed fresh refills for their bosses. When he sat down and sipped on his cup, the owner of Coffee & Sadness sighed. Rangiku and Izuru should be here soon to pitch in. His eyes scanned the shop floor before his eyes landed on a certain person who always came in.

She was quiet. She never ordered the same thing. Ulquiorra didn’t particularly like this woman, but she was okay. She never gave him complicated orders like that redhead who would barge into the place and give him a laundry list of cups to make.

He couldn’t remember the first one’s name exactly, but he knew he had slept with her when he was in college. It had been before _the incident_. Oh well. She probably didn’t remember him, and that was a good thing.

Ulquiorra Cifer didn’t want people to notice him. He didn’t want to be remembered or anything. Being remembered for something meant his demons came to light or that people would find out his big secret. 

As soon as the clock hit 2:15, he was back behind the counter making drinks and taking orders. Today was just a normal day. 

***

“Hey, Noob, go around and grab everybody’s order and then run it across the street, will ya? We’ve got a conference room full of people and some important clients, so make sure you smile pretty for them and don’t fuck up their coffee. Here’s the office credit card,” a no-nonsense woman with a somewhat sloppy up-do and glasses said. Orihime Inoue had been working for Rotten Brand Management for almost three months as an intern; she started between her junior and senior years as an art student at Northwestern. She was supposed to be learning about the world of commercial illustration and graphic arts, but so far she was mostly learning how to order coffee, dodge unwanted sexual advances, and figure out how to make it look like she hadn’t just gotten fucked in the supply room.

She closed her eyes and breathed. He was in that conference room. Usually he was fine, but sometimes he would give her lewd comments under his breath or just be a dick to her. Still other times he was rather friendly and would talk to her like an actual human being instead of a peon like everyone else here.

Right. She had a job to do. Into the conference room she went. “Can I get you some coffee? There is an excellent place across the street and they do everything. I’ll start on this side,” she said, purposely choosing the person as far away from Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez as she could.

Of course these people took their time and made a show about the ridiculous orders they wanted. _There is no such thing as a latte without coffee. That is just scalded milk, Susan. Own it. You’re an adult who wants warm milk at a business meeting._

Orihime was good at keeping her opinions to herself. The tiny eyerolls and other expressions of judgment were not easy to pick up, and flew under most people’s radars. It made her good in this position. Not that she wanted to stay here.

“And for you, Mr. Jaegerjaquez?” she said when she finally got to his end of the conference table.

“You going to the place across the street?” Grimmjow asked, smirking at her and then returning his gaze to the folder in front of him. “Coffee, black, with a shot of bourbon flavor, and put a shot of espresso in it. Tell the dick behind the counter to put it in a large cup.”

“Large cup. You got it,” she said, straightening up and writing it down. She flipped her long red hair that had fallen forward back behind her shoulders and turned big brown eyes back to the group. “I didn’t miss anyone, did I?”

Heads shook. She was dismissed. 

“Alright I’ll be right ba--” before she finished speaking they had started talking amongst themselves.

Whatever. She grabbed her purse and the company card and took the list across the street to Coffee & Sadness. She had long since stopped chuckling to herself about the name; it just so happened to be the same name as the blog she ran. One she had run since she was a junior in high school and won an award for her illustration by the same name. At one point in time she got a series of emails from someone who wanted to buy the URL from her, but she was attached to it. She wasn’t giving it up.

As she walked across the windy street, her skirt fluttered around her thighs and her blouse blew tight around her body. She saw her reflection as she walked up to the black glass facade of the coffee shop and pursed her lips. It didn’t matter how she dressed herself. She didn’t have the money for expensive clothes and her body was what it was. She always felt like she looked just a little trashy.

Probably because she was trash, but that wasn’t the point. 

The door was hard to pull open because of the breeze, and she had to really yank at it before she was able to go in. Her hair blew out behind her as she did, showing how the naturally dark red strands under the blond highlights she had done awhile back were growing out on her. Another thing she thought made her look cheap.

Ah. There it was. The glance. The glance _and_ the silent sigh. They all knew what was coming when she walked in alone and dressed in a skirt. She got into line and waited behind a pair of young woman taking their time to order. When they left, she gave the man behind the counter a very practiced apologetic face. 

“Hi, sorry again. Another conference order,” she murmured.

Ulquiorra pressed his lips together and shook his head. “List this time, or are you going to tell me each order?” he asked as his underlings got some drink carriers ready. They all recognized this woman. She had been here almost everyday to get coffee, and massive amounts of it.

“Um, I tried writing neatly this time, so you can have the list. I’ll wait here in case you can’t read it, sorry,” she said, handing him the list that was done on Rotten Brand Management stationary and looking off to the side after he took it, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone else.

These were ridiculous. He scoffed as he punched in each order. “Does this say a shot of lemon in the tea or did they want a lemon slice?”

“A shot of lemon,” she answered him with a small smile, then under her breath muttered, “Not like Karen needs to be any more sour than she already is.”

Ulquiorra nodded and then continued until he got to the latte with no coffee and raw sugar. He had to rub his eyes to dispel the headache that was trying to creep in. “Can you inform… Susan… of course it’s Susan and Karen who want--she wants milk. That’s all she has to order is scalded milk.”

“You would think she would understand this after hearing it fourteen thousand times, but apparently we’re all wrong. Susan knows. Susan and Karen have some kind of Facebook knitting circle and false knowledge consortium that told them so,” she muttered, still looking off to the side, but slowly looking back at the man.

He was looking her dead in the eye. Had she said that out loud? She had. Shit. She cringed and her face turned red. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” She should just stop now.

Ulquiorra would have busted out laughing, if laughing was something he did. He had noticed this same woman in his shop before. She was the infamous redhead who gave him a headache, but she was also the mousy wallflower who let people take over and walk all over her. He heard her make these kinds of comments before. It was humorous. “Well of course they know everything,” he said in his monotone voice. “They’re on Facebook. Grimmjow… Large cup. Anything for you?”

“Oh, me? I’m not on the coffee perks payroll. I’ll take a black coffee with some skim milk but put it separate. I have cash.”

“We only have two percent,” Ulquiorra said as he rang up the sixteen orders. “Ninety-six dollars for the coffee. Ethan! Can you help carry the coffee over to RBM?”

“Sure!” came a voice from behind him.

“Two dollars for you,” Ulquiorra stated, looking at her.

Orihime smiled nervously and pulled her wallet out of her purse, opening it and simultaneously dumping a handful of change on the counter. “Oh! Oh, I’m sorry,” she panicked, trying to stop the coins from rolling all over the place, and ending up throwing herself halfway over the counter to catch a quarter. “Sorry,” she said again as she corralled it all and finally just dumped it into the tip jar. She got two bills out of her wallet and couldn’t even look at the man as she handed them over.

He sighed as he watched several pennies fall on his side of the counter. He blinked slowly, then sighed again. Every week it was something. Last week an unused tampon flew out of her purse and hit him in the chest. This week it was errant change. Ulquiorra scanned the card and then handed it back before ringing up this woman’s order and taking the money.

Ulquiorra made her order personally. He filled up a medium cup with coffee before measuring out an eighth of a cup of milk and then filling the cup with some water. He didn’t cater to a lot of people. It was enough he carried three milk alternatives. He wasn’t carrying three different kinds of milk when he felt that skim milk was just watered down milk. He fit the lid on the top of the black paper cup, put the paper sleeve on and then handed it to her before helping to make the rest of the orders. 

Ten minutes later, they were done.

“Ethan, Finn, Jake; help this woman.” 

“Thanks,” she said, almost bowing her head as she got her cup and made her way to the door, holding it open for the three guys bringing the coffee to pass through first. She felt particularly guilty this time, and looked back at the counter, nodding to the green-eyed man behind it with a small smile. Then she was gone.

***

Ulquiorra sighed with relief as he saw the two blond people walk into the shop. Rangiku Matsumoto and Izuru Kira were knowledgeable about coffee and music, that’s the only reason he kept them around. He sighed in relief again as his three workers came back into the building. “Come on, we have tables to clear and a lobby to wipe down,” he said as he straightened his tie and vest. He was the only one who wore the vest, everyone else was required to wear the white shirt, teal tie and black dress pants with black shoes. 

“So has it been one of those days?” Izuru asked as he tied on a black apron. Rangiku was busy putting her hair up in a bun before she walked behind the counter and washed her hands. “You seem overly tired today, Ulq.”

“The coffee girl came in today. That makes twice today that RBM needed coffee. Today it was change,” Ulquiorra muttered. It was true though. He was tired today. Probably from the lack of sleep. He never slept much.

“Better than lady products,” Rangiku chirped with a laugh. She had been there when the tampon incident happened.

Ulquiorra scowled at her and then frowned. “Honestly, her coffee orders are horrible. The people over in that business must be intellectually challenged. Susan wants hot milk. Karen wanted lemon syrup instead of a lemon slice. I know we have a lot of syrups, and the only reason I have bourbon syrup is because Grimmjow orders it--”

“You’re ranting,” Izuru said as he looked over a list of things that needed to be done before close.

“I am not ranting.”

“You’re ranting, Ulquiorra. Just go back into the kitchen and start getting food stuff ready for tomorrow. We’ve got the front house covered.”

Another dirty glance was given to Rangiku, but Ulquiorra did as she said and went back to the workroom so that he could start on the dough and batter for the food items they sold. Being back here alone was a good thing. He could think of what needed to be done. He could center himself and refocus.

*** 

Orihime was relieved as she packed up for the night that tomorrow was her last day working full-time for Rotten. It was a decent income for an intern, though she could probably make more at Costco or something. 

She would continue her internship on a part time basis in September, but school was starting up again soon and she needed to focus on that. She would miss the money. She had squirreled it away over the summer to supplement her student loan and scholarship lifestyle. It afforded her little in the way of luxuries. She lived in a tiny studio apartment. When she went out with her girlfriends she borrowed their clothes and only drank if someone else was buying. She wore fast fashion. She only got her hair done once every four months. Nails she did herself.

She did splurge on eating out, though. She didn’t have space to cook. She didn’t go anywhere fancy; to-go places or little diners mostly. She paid for her own drinks at Starrk’s when she wanted to drink alone. She paid for her own coffee. It didn’t leave a lot left over. Usually there was nothing left over.

Tonight, being the end of the month and a day before payday, and having donated her spare change in shame to the good people at Coffee & Sadness, she decided that something very cheap was the way to go. She got up from her desk at five-thirty and stretched before she turned around.

“Inoue,” Grimmjow said. He had been standing behind her for a minute. “Going somewhere?”

“Uh, I’m thinking about going to grab a sandwich. Why do you ask?” she said. She opened her face to him with a sweet smile. He had been acting more friendly to her lately and less lecherous. Maybe he wanted to chat? She would like that.

The man with dyed blue hair smirked. “Got a _special_ project I need help with. Figured since it’s your last day, you might want to help.”

“I’m working tomorrow too,” she muttered, looking at the ground. Of course that’s what he wanted.

“Nah, Byakuya has you on the schedule for something else tomorrow. I’ll buy you dinner if you help me. I’ll even give you some computer time to help you learn the program,” Grimmjow said in a business like tone as some people walked by. 

“What kind of project?” she asked, slightly more enthusiastic.

The man looked down at her and flashed his eyebrows. “A friend of mine is thinking about having a logo designed. He’s not going to purchase the media package though, so it’s going to get passed down to one of you interns. And maybe,” Grimmjow leaned down so that he could whisper in her ear. “You can clean yourself off of me from earlier.”

Lord. What a creep. A decent looking one. And he sometimes got her off, the handful of times she found herself alone with him. Those times were stressful times at work, usually. She had wanted relief as much as he did. This, though… He was dangling an opportunity she had waited her entire internship to get. What was one more time? It’s not like she had anybody to be loyal to. “Sounds like a plan, then,” she said, looking at his face briefly.

“Give it thirty minutes and then meet me in my office,” Grimmjow said. “You like curry?”

“Love it,” she admitted with a warm smile. She wasn’t lying.

Twenty-five minutes later, Grimmjow paid the delivery driver and took the bags to his office. He came out and whistled at Orihime. “Ready Inoue?”

“Coming!” she called back to him, putting her computer on hibernation mode and trotting toward the smell of spices.

As soon as the door was closed, Grimmjow grinned at her. “You should apply to Rotten so you can have a position here when you graduate,” he said as he motioned for her to sit at the small table in his office.

“Maybe. I don’t really know how to do what needs to be done here, yet. Nobody lets me do anything but errands,” she said.

He shook his head. “Just because I’m going to fuck you doesn’t mean I’m not going to teach you how to do this. I do need the logo done and I don’t want to do it, but I don’t want to give it to one of the other interns. You’ve gone above and beyond to please people.”

“Just you,” she muttered quietly. “Although I do entertain the absurdity of Karen and Susan from time to time,” she added with a chuckle.

Raising an eyebrow, Grimmjow walked over to the woman. It was nothing to pick her up and make her legs wrap around him. “Food first, then fun then a quick lesson on how to make a logo? Or would you like to have fun first?”

She thought about it for a minute. The food sounded so good, but she knew she wouldn’t be up to whatever he had in mind right after eating. A deep breath in and out. “Fun first. Need to work up an appetite,” she said, blushing hard. He was only the second man she’d ever had sex with, so this wasn’t something she did all the time.

“Heh,” Grimmjow smirked. He carried her over to the armchair and sat down with her in his lap now. “You need to stick around. I can make you my personal secretary.”

Her eyes narrowed at him and the blush on her cheeks faded a bit. “I am _not_ a secretary,” she growled in a kittenish little voice. She hated it when he made cracks about that. She was an _artist_. She wasn’t going to spend any significant amount of time doing filing and typing up correspondence.

Grimmjow grabbed her chin and kissed her, then pulled away. “You’re cute when you get mad,” he stated before he began his seduction of her.


	2. Comped Coffee

Orihime got the project. She was so happy. It had made the lukewarm curry and sloppy blowjob almost worth it. Okay, yeah, the actual sex was good, but the hummer for dessert was unnecessary.

Now she sat at her desk with a work order, a pencil, and a sketchpad. She could not believe it. _She_ was designing a logo for Coffee & Sadness. It was darkly humorous. She had done a million logos for her blog of the same name already. She had been to this establishment probably close to a hundred times. She looked out the window and tapped her pencil to her chin. She would sketch this out on paper and then scan and trace it in the program Rotten preferred. 

She thought about the place. What stood out to her? 

Well, it was a typical industrial/reclaimed space. It was large. It was a bit dark, and had a Pottery Barn aesthetic, but leaned modern. All that stuff was pleasant, but generic.

What about the place made it stand out? The coffee was quite good. The bakery was good. Those things didn’t lend themselves to a visual representation of the brand, though. Certainly not one that the owner, Ulquiorra Cifer, would want. What kind of name was that, anyway? He was probably some foreign investor that had only seen pictures of the place. Anyway, whatever Mr. Cifer wanted was not anything to do with cute or homey kitchen/coffee aesthetic.

He wanted a brand. An image. One that could travel to similar businesses of different names. Something simple and iconic. Something that would invoke a feeling of quality and cool factor. Hmm. What was the coolest thing about the place?

She sat there thinking, and the answer came to her slowly. Obviously, it wasn’t the clientele; Coffee & Sadness wasn’t exclusive. No, it was the staff. Everyone who worked there looked like they had a story to tell. Orihime imagined the lives of the two blondes that ran the place in the late afternoon. She imagined the woman was a former model who tired of the fashion world and ran away with the man to live a beatnik lifestyle. She chuckled. Not exactly logo fodder, but a funny idea.

She thought about the three young guys who helped her bring the big order yesterday. They were all cute; they looked like they were college kids working there for the summer and adding to their late-hipster cred. She imagined the two cuter ones were in love with each other and the other one, although not gay, was jealous. It was all very tragic because  _ obviously _ they all lived together and the straight one, Ethan, wanted to go back to a simpler time when they were all just friends. 

There were other people who worked there and they were all interesting-looking, but none so much as the guy who ran the dayshift. He looked like he had a story. He was so well put-together. He dressed so formally. He acted so formally. And yet, he had tattoos on his knuckles and earrings that stretched his earlobes a bit. Perhaps he was a baristo-by-day, gangster-by-night kind of guy. More likely he had some band on the side, or was a tattoo artist or something. He never smiled. He never laughed. He probably had some kind of traumatic thing in his past that made him reluctant to show happiness. 

He was a tough nut to crack. He carried himself almost aristocratically; much like Mr. Kuchiki, the CEO of Rotten, did. But unlike Mr. Kuchiki, the day manager at Coffee & Sadness didn’t look like royalty. He looked like a guy who was pretty rough around the edges. The dichotomy appealed to her. He reminded her a little bit of Batman, without the mask and cape. Although, she thought, giggling to herself, he could probably take off his apron and just tie it around his neck to have the same effect. 

She leaned back in her office chair and sighed. She needed to take all these ideas and distill them. Maybe she needed to go to the source for inspiration. She walked over to Grimmjow’s office and knocked on the doorframe. “Hey Grimm? I’m going out for coffee and inspiration for the project. Want me to bring you back anything?”

***

Hmm. It was ten o’clock and he wasn’t there. It was a woman who took her order; a s’mores macchiato. She would get Grimmjow’s weird bourbon coffee thing on her way out later. She sat down at a table in the middle of everything and spread out her sketchbook and pencils, staring to doodle things that she saw and faces she thought were interesting, trying to funnel inspiration. No one seemed to notice her there.

Ulquiorra walked into the building after smoking a cigarette. He was going to sit at his table, but there happened to be a woman already sitting in the spot with papers everywhere. A sigh went through him as he went around the counter and started preparing something some espresso.

“Ulq? What are you doing? You’re on break,” Rangiku asked.

“Well, I’d be sitting down but...” he said and gave the redhead who was in the middle of the shop a side-eyed glance. “What did she order today?”

“S’mores macchiato,” the blonde said. “Why?”

“Wondering,” he replied as he brewed his own coffee and got a cup of ice. He made his customary drink of iced espresso with a splash of half and half, then he made another s’mores macchiato. He picked up the paper cup and took it over to her table, setting it down before he walked away.

  
  
“Oh!” she peeped, looking up at the man’s form as he walked away. “I didn’t order anything,” her voice was soft and worried.

Ulquiorra turned and looked at her. “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” he stated and went back behind the counter and into the work room. 

Her brows rose and her posture straightened up as she watched him walk away. He was definitely playing into the international man of mystery persona she was working up for him. What was with the long, double breasted vest? He definitely had the body type to pull it off, she thought as she conjured up the image he had left her with. She imagined his anatomy. She imagined it in multiple positions. Hmm. Yes. On the modest side of average height. Slim. Proportionately broad shoulders and narrow hips. She mentally compared him to Grimmjow. Those narrow hips of his would fit between her thighs a lot better than Grimm’s. 

She blushed and shook her head at herself. Yeah, the baristo looked pretty sexy in her estimation. She quickly pushed the thought away that his body type was reminiscent of her ex’s. No. Nope. No. Begone, cursed mental image. Better to just focus on the baristo’s face. To her, he was the face of Coffee & Sadness.

It came to her in a flash of inspiration. She saw that cup he had left there. She remembered his face. Now she just needed to wait for him to come back out and do some stealthy sketches of his facial features, and she could go back to the office.

Her first cup of coffee was empty. She removed the paper sleeve and set it in front of her, sketching it in sharp, short lines. She paused as she did and picked up the second cup, taking a sip.

It was the same drink. It was better than the first one though, she thought as a wide, warm smile came over her face. The smile remained as she continued to sketch on the cup.

When his break was up, Ulquiorra wrote his name on his cup and put it below the cash register. He’d finish it later. Rangiku smiled at him before she went to do something in the office. Everything was pretty much done until the lunch rush came in.

For some reason, people liked coming in for the simple grilled cheese sandwiches and the haughty fig and bleu cheese plate. It didn’t make any sense to him, but whatever. It made him money.

Ulquiorra leaned against the back counter and folded his arms over his chest, looking up at the ceiling of the coffee bar area. He just let his mind wander.

Oh, this was perfect. She could stare at him all she wanted and he wouldn’t even notice. She furiously sketched and then took long moments to just gaze at him, studying how the light hit the angles of his face and the thickness of his brows and luster of his hair. His best feature was his eyes, though. They looked sad and piercing. He embodied coffee and sadness. She bit her lip and sketched for a good ten minutes without him noticing that she was even still there.

It was the door opening and a customer coming in that broke him out of his thoughts. He stepped up to the counter and took the man’s order and made it in less than five minutes. Ulquiorra was bored. He had nothing to really do. He decided to straighten the small amount of merchandise they sold and do a lap around the shop to see if anything needed picked to be up or if the break room needed cleaning.

He had to think about next month’s flavor and the fact that they were switching from summer flavors to fall flavors. That meant that he had a lot of work in front of him, figuring out how to make caramel apple cupcakes and muffins. All he had to do was advertise pumpkin spice and the basic bitches would roll in. He knew he could get it done. He was Ulquiorra Cifer. He turned around and noticed the redhead looking at him. He never asked her name. He just made her order and handed her the cup. He strolled by her table. “Do you need anything? Maybe a picture since you like staring?”

Her sketchbook snapped shut and she blinked rapidly. “I was? Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, cringing and turning pink. “I should go,” she said, gathering her stuff into a pile.

“You don’t have to. I stare at people all the time,” Ulquiorra replied. “College student?”

She nodded. “I intern across the street,” she added, afraid to look at him now.

“Figured that when you came in with the stationary. Their new coffee bitch isn’t as interesting. He’s clumsy.”

“They replaced me already?” she said under her breath with a dark chuckle. “Sucks to be you, Charlie.”

“Name?”

“Oh, me?” she asked, surprised that he would ask. She let her eyes drift back to his and she couldn’t help that curious, unfocused glaze on her eyes again. “It’s Orihime. Orihime Inoue. What’s yours?”

He looked at her. He blinked. He never had anyone ask his name. Ulquiorra tilted his head to the side and stared at her for a moment. “It’s, uh,” he started to say, but was interrupted by Rangiku.

“Ulq! We need more coffee beans!”

As she had a tendency to do, Orihime seemed to shrink into herself at the interruption and faded into the background.

Without answering her, Ulquiorra turned around and walked back to the supply room. He knew the blonde would harp on him until he did as she demanded. Yeah, he was the boss, but he was on Rangiku’s time at the moment. She was the manager. When he came back to the coffee shop floor, Orihime was gone.

***

That was a close one, Orihime thought as she brought her sketchbooks back to the office. She knew exactly the logo she wanted to design. His eyes. The brows and the eyes in black against a white paper coffee cup, with lines of tears coming from each eye in the same teal color as the ties the staff all wore. Maybe put a glint of green in the irises of the eyes, but she planned to have the eyelid heavy and low. It would look perfect. Below the eyes would be the initials, C&S, with the rest of the letters of each word in a smaller font. She would try the lettering in black only or teal with black shadow. Mr. Cifer could choose which he preferred. She got straight to work on it and didn’t finish her first draft until nearly ten o’clock at night. She printed it and put it on Grimmjow’s desk. Everyone else was gone.

It was Friday. She had worked her ass off today, but she was wide awake because of the two macchiatos and various other caffeinated drinks throughout the day. She’d stop by a corner store for something to nosh on and go to Starrk’s after she went home to change.

***

Ulquiorra walked into the bar. It was dimly lit as usual. He didn’t know why he had to be the errand boy when Starrk could just write a check to Aizen and send it off. He made his way over to the bar and sat down when a tall man with an eyepatch over his eye came over.

His lip curled as Nnoitra put his elbows on the bar. “Ulquiorra, nice to see your fucking sad ass face again. What’s your poison tonight? Wanna grow some balls and actually try the absinthe?”

“Tch. No. Give me a Maker’s Mark with some water,” he replied. 

“Anything else?”

“Do you have any of those clove cigarettes?”

“Not on me,” Nnoitra said. “Want to try a cigar?”

Ulquiorra’s nose wrinkled. The expression looked strange on his normally expressionless face. “No, thank you.”

There was a flash of blue from the corner of his eye and a low groan went through him.

“Why the fuck don’t you get out more?” Grimmjow asked as he put the glass he was drinking out of on the bartop. “You’ve got the time.”

“It’s called running a business. I do not have free time.”

“You wouldn’t be so uptight if you got laid,” Nnoitra muttered before pushing off the counter and getting Ulquiorra’s drink.

“Dude, I should introduce you to this chick I’ve been banging. She’s so damn hot and tight. A bit dumb and quiet, but damn. She can make some noise and it’s obscene,” Grimmjow said, grinning. “She’s an intern, and I offered to make her my secretary and she got mad. It’s cute because she’s tiny.”

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. He did not want to know about Grimmjow’s conquests. “Does anything meaningful ever happen in your life?”

“Besides this chick? Nah, not so far. Kinda want to make her a permanent thing but she’s...”

“A whore?” Nnoitra offered as he set two glasses down in front of Ulquiorra; one had a splash of whiskey, the other water.

“Nah, she’s a bit not there. Like she’s playing pretend or some shit,” Grimmjow answered. “She has an ass on her that is just... Hngh. And some nice tits. I swear I’ve fucked her all over my office, the copy room, and the supply room.”

“Kuchiki should invest in some sterilization practices,” Ulquiorra commented, swirling the whiskey around before taking a sip. “Where’s Starrk?”

“Talking to Tier,” Nnoitra answered.

“She’s back in town?” Grimmjow asked. He’d been after Tier for ages but she never batted an eye at him. 

“Do you two ever think about something other than sex?” Ulquiorra asked as he took a drink of water.

Grimmjow looked at Nnoitra. Nnoitra looked at Grimmjow and they both started laughing. “Eyy, ya boy is also back,” Nnoi said. “Gin’s been talking to Aizen by the way.”

Great, Ulquiorra thought. It would figure that the guy who prosecuted him was in Evanston. “Why is he here?”

“Dunno. Nel says--”

“Are you seriously fucking with her again?” Grimmjow interrupted..

“Nah,” Nnoitra said and walked away as another customer approached the bar.

A few minutes later, Starrk came behind the bar and handed Ulquiorra a check. The green-eyed man finished his whiskey and water and laid down a bill before leaving. He’d deposit the check tomorrow.

***

Orihime had changed into a tight pair of jeans and a long-sleeved blouse that showed off her shoulders. She didn’t live far from Starrk’s. Just a couple of blocks. So she wore a cute pair of heeled boots, too. It was nearly autumn, anyway. 

On her way there, she didn’t see very many people. But just as she turned the corner she nearly ran into a figure dressed in dark colors. 

“Oh! Excuse me,” she said in a breathy, flustered voice and stepped to the side.

Ulquiorra didn’t even give the woman glance as he stepped around her. He really didn’t like the other members of society. Especially ones that hung out at bars. He didn’t say anything as he walked past her to his Uber.

Orihime steadied herself and continued on, opening the door to Starrk’s and smiling at the familiar interior. This place was her sanctuary away from home. Well, it was her sanctuary when she needed a stiff drink or two to slow down the swirling thoughts inside her mind. And tonight, those thoughts were a mess.

That baristo’s eyes were haunting her. The job was totally exciting. The creative process had her feeling high and a bit manic; that’s why she really needed to stop by here tonight. She was glad it was payday.

She nodded to the familiar man behind the bar and glanced at the new woman. She was interesting looking. Orihime added her to the list of images in her mind that demanded to be put down on paper. “Hey Starrk, can I get a Death in the Afternoon?” she asked is a soft, pleasant voice. She liked the quiet man. He was not a threat to her.

“Hey, Miss Hime. One death coming right up,” the man said. He gave her a small smile and then went about making her drink. He set it on the countertop with a napkin underneath.

“Thanks,” she said, sliding her card across the bar to open a tab. It was going to be a night where she lingered around until close. She had brought her sketchbook. She turned around and looked around the bar. It wasn’t very crowded and she chose a spot with a plush velvet sofa and a matching armchair. It looked antique. She brought her purse and her drink over and took a seat. She didn’t take out her sketchbook right away, though. She got onto her phone. She had an idea for a blog post.

Grimmjow had fucked off. Ulquiorra left. Nnoitra was leaning against the bar and watching the redhead. She’d been coming to the bar for a while. He wiped the counter down and made himself look busy as he studied her. He heard someone whispering his name and did a double take to see Grimmjow, and it looked like he was hiding. “What?”

“That’s her.”

“Seriously? That thing?”

“Dude, she’s not a thing. She’s young and dumb,” Grimmjow said. “What’s she drinking?”

“A death.”

“Make her a 75 and send it over,” Grimmjow said and gave Nnoitra the money.

“Oh, I didn’t order another one,” Orihime said, smiling at Nnoitra. He always kind of gave her the creeps, but she was polite.

“Nah, gentleman, and I barely consider him one, bought it for you,” Nnoitra said setting the drink down on the table in front of her.

Orihime sat up straight and looked around the bar. She couldn’t see anyone that she would suspect would send her a drink; it looked like most of the people here were regulars or worked here. Then, just as she started to slouch, she saw him. She smiled and held the champagne glass up, tilting her head to the side a bit and arching her back. It was a habit. She didn’t do it on purpose.

Nnoitra watched the woman and shook his head as he walked behind the bar. She had to be younger than him. Nnoitra was twenty-seven. Grimmjow was a year younger. The man had ambition to get to the top, though, and his friend had worked for his position. Nnoitra was happy being a bartender. He got to pick up random chicks and he got to drink. “Eyy?”

“Shut the hell up,” Grimmjow muttered. “I guess I’ve got to go talk to her.”

“Want another?”

Grimmjow shook his head and threw back the rest of the liquid in his glass before standing up and walking over to where Orihime sat. “Didn’t know you came here,” he said, sitting next to her without an invitation.

She looked at him fondly and replied, “I come here a lot; usually there is nobody I know here. I find a quiet corner and quiet my mind. Do you come here often?” 

“Nah, I know Starrk and Nnoi,” Grimmjow said. “We go back running around the streets being kids. I’m not bothering you, am I?”

“Nope, it’s nice to see you outside the office,” she said, turning her smile down into her glass and blushing. He was being nice.

“Tch,” he said, leaning back and laying an arm on the back of the couch behind her. “I could see you outside of the office a bit more, if you’d like.”

Her smile stretched into a rare, genuine grin. “I would like that,” she said.

Grimmjow scoffed again but softer this time. “Yeah? So what kind of stuff do you like to do when you’re not at the office?”

“I go to school and come here and go get coffee and draw. What do you do?” she had a tendency to play down her own life as unimportant.

“I go to work. I go to the gym. I come here. I watch TV. Might go out to a club occasionally,” he answered. Grimmjow lifted a hand and signaled that he wanted another drink. He felt like he needed another one. Nnoi knew what he liked.

“Do you know any good clubs? I haven’t been to one since I started at Rotten,” she said. “I like dancing.”

Grimmjow shrugged. “Most of the really good ones are in Chicago,” he said, scratching the side of his neck. “There’s a place called Nebula on the other side of town. It’s decent.”

“I’ve never been there,” Orihime said, trailing her finger around the rim of her glass and then took a sip. “I don’t know if I’m cool enough for a place like that.”

His fingers lightly stroked Orihime’s neck. It was just a thing he did around women. “It’s full of college kids. Ya got friends, don’t you? Could check it out with them if I can’t take you.”

“You want to take me?” she asked, feeling the courage of the prosecco and the gin and the absinthe. “I mean, my girls and I make a fierce posse but…” she turned her eyes up toward his face and smiled again. “I just said I liked seeing you out of the office.” She liked this Orihime. She liked feeling like she could say anything that came to mind. This was definitely not her default setting.

“Damn. I just asked you on a date and it feels like I got shot down,” Grimmjow said with a smile on his face. A waitress brought his whiskey over to him and he took a sip. “Are ya shooting me down?”

“No,” she said, still smiling as she looked back down and took another sip of the French 75. She still had half of her other drink sitting there. “I’m asking  _ you _ to take me out.”

His grin got wider and Grimmjow sat in silence with her for a long moment before he pulled out his phone. “Gimme your number,” he said.

She told it to him slowly, enunciating each number. She was feeling warm. She was feeling happy. She wanted him to stay with her and keep her company. He had a nice smile. She wanted to touch him again. She crossed her legs toward him and let the side of her boot brush along the leg of his pants, leaning her shoulder into his side on the pretense of watching him enter the numbers.

Grimmjow’s eyes glanced at her and he gave a chuckle. After he entered the information, he put his phone back in his pocket and put a hand on her thigh. “What else do you like, Inoue?”

“I think I rather like you, Grimmjow,” she said, looking up at him and giggling. Yep, she was buzzed. But it was true, she did like him. He made her feel like a real person. “I like your, um, company,” she said.

He took another drink and relaxed. “Yeah? Good. Finish your drinks and I’ll get you another one if you want,” he replied.

“I don’t need another one,” she said with a humorous lilt. It wasn’t clear if she just didn’t want more or if another drink was unnecessary for what she thought he had on his mind. “Did you know I live like a block and a half away from here? It’s very convenient. I can’t believe I’ve never seen you around here before.”

“I’m usually not as stressed out as I am,” he replied. “Usually stop by here after work a couple of times a week before going home.” It was the truth. Kuchiki had been riding his ass about some account. Grimmjow had handed the job to someone lower on the totem pole. They had fucked it all up and it was up to him to sort the shit out. “You trying to tell me something, then?”

In all honesty, the three months that he had known Orihime, he thought she lived with people or in a dorm. “You live right around the corner, eh? Got neighbors?”

“Not any that I know,” she said.

“Roommates?”

“Nope.” A wide smile was thrown in his direction as her eyes drooped to his lips.

Grimmjow nodded and raked his teeth over his bottom lip. “Finish one of your drinks and you can give me the grand tour of your place,” he said.

“Okay,” she said, tipping her glass to her lips and draining the contents, then picked up the other and took a gulp of it. It would be a shame to waste it on her income. “Are you ready?”

His blue eyes widened as he watched her suck down the alcohol. Nice. He was probably going to get laid tonight. He was willing to spring for a hotel room, but if her place was close by, Grimmjow wasn’t going to say no. He drained his own glass and then stood. “I’m gonna go settle my tab. Be right back,” he told her.

“I’m coming, I have an open tab, too,” she said, following behind him. She stopped in front of the blonde woman, embarrassed to talk to Nnoitra or Starrk when it was so obvious what she was doing.

“Already ran it, Grimm,” Starrk said handing the man a slip of paper which Grimmjow signed.

“Thanks Starrk.” Grimmjow avoided Nnoitra’s gaze as he slipped his card back into his wallet. He knew his friend was probably laughing his ass off right now.

“Thanks, uh, Tier. It’s nice to meet you,” Orihime said, putting her card back into her wallet and looking up at the blue-haired man. “Shall we?” she said quietly as she walked past.

As soon as Grimmjow turned, Nnoitra started chuckling, and the sound only got louder as Grimmjow followed Orihime out of the bar. That guy was a nutcase.

The night air was chilly when she stepped outside, and the breeze coming off the lake whipped her hair around her face until she turned the corner, her arms wrapped around her front so her hands could cover her bare shoulders. “It’s a bit cool tonight, isn’t it?” she asked as soon as she got her hair out of her face.

He looked at her. “It’s about to warm up soon enough,” Grimmjow teased.

She giggled and hopped a step. “I hope so,” she said, looking at him from over her shoulder and narrowing her eyes in a flirtatious gesture before laughing again.

They walked for about a block and a half. Grimmjow kept eyeing the way her ass moved and would occasionally grab it or gently tug on her hair. When they stopped, he looked at her. “This it?”

“Yep,” she smiled up at him and then looked at the lock. Her place was on the second floor, which was accessible through a locked glass door on the street. “Follow me,” she said, leading the way up.

Her boots clacked loudly on the linoleum-covered stairs with metal edging. Twelve steps later and she was at the top. Another key came out and then she opened to door to her place. Her nose wrinkled a bit. At least the bed was clean. “Home sweet home,” she announced, gesturing for him to enter.

Grimmjow entered cautiously. This woman’s studio apartment was as big as his bedroom. There was art everywhere. “Oh, so you really are an artist,” he said as he went over to one piece that was laying on a table. The composition was good, he thought, and then turned it to look at it from a different angle. Upon doing that, he uncovered several drawings. “Huh.”

“Don’t like them? Oh!” she said, a bit embarrassed. “Recognize that guy? He works at that coffee shop. I went over there and sketched ideas for that logo,” she said, still standing by the door and unzipping her boots.

“Really? That’s Ulquiorra Cifer,” Grimmjow said, picking up the sketch and looking at it. She was good at traditional art. 

She repeated the foreign-sounding name under her breath and then the realization hit her. “OH! Oh,  _ he _ owns that place?” she asked, clearly surprised. Well, at least she knew his name now.

Grimmjow put the drawing back down and turned around to face Orihime. “Yep. He’s been running the place for a couple years? It was called something else, but as soon as he took over he changed everything about it,” he replied and walked over to the tiny woman.

“Well, he’s doing something right; he’s got a loyal customer base,” she said, smiling up at Grimmjow as he approached. Without any shoes on she looked even smaller than usual. “So, this is it. How did you like the tour?” she asked in a soft, intimate tone.

“I like it. Cozy, yet eccentrically decorated but… I’m about to wreck things,” he murmured grabbing her by the waist.

“I hope you mean me, because if you trash my work, you’re going down, Jaegerjaquez,” she said in a gleeful squeal.


	3. Caramel Apple and Basic Bitches

When Grimmjow wanted something, he went out and took it. The world would be at his feet. His teeth sank into his bottom lip as he looked down at the woman. “I do mean I’m going to wreck you. You down for that? I have a proper surface now. I can get leverage.” He flashed his eyebrows at her.

She hummed in anticipation. “Bedside drawer has all your needs,” she said, as if she was a bellhop explaining a room’s amenities. “I am so down right now,” she added, already feeling her body heat up, both from the fresh memory of what happened the previous evening and looking up at Grimmjow’s face right now.

His eyebrows raised only a bit at hearing that. Did she do this kind of thing often? Oh well if she did. He took her in his arms and bent his head so that he could kiss her slowly. This was not the office, so he didn’t have to rush to get off. He could take his time. He’d undress her first before he lost his own clothing. “You may be singing a different tune soon,” he said as his hands went under the shirt she wore. 

It was a cute top. Everything about her was cute.

She blushed as she watched him. He was acting so much differently from all their other encounters. Almost gentle, despite his promise to destroy her. “I don’t know about that, but I can believe that you’ll have me singing something,” she said softly, then bit her lip. Where was this coming from? Just the drinks? Mostly, she thought. But there was something about Grimmjow that made her feel like they had a connection. Something that made her feel safe to say things like this.

He gave a soft chuckle before he brought his hands over her waist and dragged them over her ribcage. The shirt was going to have to go. “Know any good songs?” he asked as his thumbs brushed over the cups of her bra. He had only seen her tits once, and that was when they first fucked in that dim supply room. She had worn a dress with straps. He hadn’t had the time to savor her body then. It was about him getting his.

“I know a lot of good songs. I wonder what you’ll inspire,” she teased, arching her spine and pressing her body up into his hands.

“Shirt is coming off,” Grimmjow said and pulled the fabric up over her head and arms. Surprisingly, her bra wasn’t fancy. It was just a normal t-shirt bra. He hoped her panties were more interesting. The blue-haired man slid the straps down her shoulders while he kissed her again, slipping his tongue into her mouth. She tasted like alcohol and sugar. “Mmmm,” he hummed.

God, he was pressing all of her buttons. She ran her tongue against his lazily and hummed back, raising a knee and running the inside of her leg from his hip to his knee and back up. When the kiss broke she asked, “Like what you see?”

As soon as he figured out how her bra unhooked he would tell her. It was easy for Grimmjow to pick her up like it was nothing. She was tiny. He walked over to her bed and sat down on the side, setting her on his thighs. “Depends,” he said as he used both of his hands to unhook the bra. As soon as it was loose on her chest, Grimmjow cupped her tits, squeezing them slightly. “Definitely like what I feel.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I’m feeling it,” she said. She was a visual artist, though. She knew the value of visual stimulation. She reached between them and hooked her finger around the center of the bra cups and pulled them down and away from her body, letting the bra fall haphazardly to floor, and leaving nothing between her nipples and Grimmjow’s hands. “Now I’m feeling it a lot more,” she said before pecking his lips and then sitting back to give him access to the view.

“I see this. Damn, lady.” Grimmjow brought one of the sizeable breasts up and dipped his head down to capture the nipple with his mouth. Just as he thought, the flesh came to life under his tongue and the gentle pressure of his teeth.

Orihime whimpered, both at the sensation and the sight of him enjoying her body, and she squeezed her thighs around the outer sides of his. She was getting wet. She had been receptive at the bar already. She was starting to grow anxious. Grimmjow was a good looking guy with a strong, hard body. She wanted to feel more of it, and she tilted her hips a bit in order to do so.

He pulled back and gave her questioning look before he grinned. “You can wait,” he said, letting her tits go and threading his hands through her hair. He pulled her head back and kissed her hard. Grimmjow wanted to enjoy this. They had all fucking night and maybe some of the morning before he had to be at the gym.

She moaned into his mouth and melted underneath it. If he wanted to be the boss, she was going to let him. She yielded to his lips and tongue, gasping when he gave her mouth a moment of reprieve but otherwise breathing quickly through her nose. The thought occurred to her that she might make a wet spot on his pants before long, but he was the one who wanted to draw this out. She could play along.

When he was done making her lips puffy, Grimmjow smirked and quickly made her stand up. “Take the jeans off,” he said, bending down to untie his boot laces and pried it off. He did the same thing to the other boot and set them together at the side of the bed. “You’ve got it going on Hime.”

She gave an embarrassed half smile, her shoulders collapsing in on themselves and her spine caving in a bit as she giggled a thanks. The posture only helped with undoing and pulling down her jeans. When she stood back up she was only wearing a bright yellow thong.

“I knew it.” Grimmjow laughed for a second and pulled her closer to him. “Do you ever wear matching undie sets?”

A gentle scoff answered him. “I am a poor college student living on summer intern wages. I buy whatever is on clearance, matching be damned,” she said with a chuckle, shaking her head.

He gave her a playful eyeroll before hooking his thumbs under the sides of the underwear she had on. He had to bend over almost in half to place a kiss on her hip bone before he started edging the cloth down her thighs. “Wanna be my personal assistant then? Pays better than an internship,” he joked.

“You’re funny,” she chuckled, running her fingers through his hair in a gentle, affectionate way. “I believe we’ve already had this conversation.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said as he got her panties off her thighs. “You’re an artist and I see that now. You should show Kuchiki some of this. Enough about work though. I’m trying to get you on me and savor it.”

She wiggled her hips and legs, not caring about the jiggle, until her panties fell off of her legs on their own. “Have at it, then, Grimmjow. I didn’t invite you over for tea and crumpets,” she murmured.

He did have at it. He touched her, sliding his hand up her smooth skin. Seeing Orihime naked… Damn. The girl was humble, but she had it going on. She was at least an eight. Grimmjow pushed her a step or two back as he stood. He looked her straight in the eye as he stripped off his t-shirt, throwing it at the end of the bed, and then his hands went to the button and zipper of his black jeans. He already had a hard on. “You want it?” 

“Yes,” she said in a steady voice, holding his eye contact for a moment before letting it fall to his hands.

Hook, line, and sinker. Grimmjow saw her face as he slowly dragged down the zipper and pushed his pants and boxers down his legs. He even took off his socks and left them in that clothes puddle on the floor. He was arrogant enough to know that he had the body of a god. He was sculpted and hard. “Really?” he asked taking a step towards her with his cock jutting out from his hips.

She didn’t answer, just reached her hand out to trail her fingers along the smooth, hot surface. She shivered and took a deep breath, then took a half step more towards him. “Really,” she whispered finally.

Oooh, damn. She had his number already. “You’ve got condoms?” Grimmjow asked as he picked her up again, crushing her naked chest to his. Even if she didn’t, he had a couple in the pocket of his jeans.

“Yeah, there are a few in the nightstand,” she said breathlessly.

As soon as they were on the bed, Orihime was on her back and Grimmjow was rifling through the drawer. There were two condoms inside of it. He put one on top of the nightstand and kept the other in his hand. “You had me thinking there were toys, lube and an entire assortment of condoms in there,” he joked as he sat back and opened the condom, rolling it down his cock. 

“Twenty-one, not fifty-one” she said, blushing. “ _Almost_ twenty-two.”

“You’re young,” he stated, grabbing his dick with one hand and giving it several strokes. Then he thumped it against her slit a couple of times and smiled at Orihime. “You want to do this?”

She lifted her knees, her lower lips opening to show him the pink skin underneath. “I’ve been waiting,” she said, a bit confused by his constant need for reassurance, but not irritated. “I want it.”

He glanced down at her before Grimmjow lined himself up. If fucking her in a chair, on his desk, against a wall and against the counter in the copier room was good, having her in a bed was fucking amazing. He watched as his dick sank into her body, inch by inch. “Good, I’ve been wanting you all day,” he said in a slightly deeper, lust-filled voice.

She groaned slowly as he filled and stretched her. This was different. Her eyes fluttered closed as he pushed deeper, and she had to gasp in another breath of air. If she ever wondered before if he was bigger than Uryu, her ex, she had no reason to wonder anymore. He certainly was. “Grimm,” she hissed as he nearly reached maximum penetration, her fingers grasping at his shoulders in fear. He was getting close to hurting her. He wasn’t there yet, but she knew.

Grimmjow was watching her face and that’s why he was taking it slow. He stopped just before he bottomed out. “How many guys have you been with?” he murmured as he slowly started moving his cock out of her core.

“Two including you,” she answered. She didn’t think it was a big deal.

God dammit. Grimmjow knew now he couldn’t fuck her into the mattress like he was planning to do. He had to build her up to that. “Okay, cool. I’m going to show you a good time, Hime,” he said, leaning over her body and kissing her.

Once she felt safe enough to relax her grip on his shoulders, her hands moved up the sides of his neck and to the sides of his face. She whimpered as she surrendered to his lips and her feet planted on the sides of his hips, helping her to rock them gently as he moved in and out of her. This was nice. This was something that she hadn’t realized she had been missing. “Grimmjow,” she moaned between kisses, feeling wetness seep down her slit, dampening the mattress.

“Yeah?” he asked, huffing a bit, his hips moving at a steady pace. She was tight when they were at the office but she felt even tighter now. Grimmjow pulled back enough to look at her face. “You good? Comfortable?”

Her eyes opened slowly and he could see it. They were glossy and black and heavy with lust, and, if he was looking for it, affection. She was loving this. “I’m better than comfortable,” she said, adding an involuntary “Ooh,” at the end.

That’s what he liked to hear. He propped himself up on one arm before moving her one of her legs higher. The angle changed slightly and Grimmjow grunted as he felt the way her walls slid over him in a different way. Fuck that was good. “Orihime; you feel good. We’re going to make each other come,” he murmured to her.

His words, and the tone of his voice, caused her to shudder. “Ahh,” she squeaked, feeling her walls start to resonate and flutter just at her entrance. This was just a precursor. “Oh, god, Grimmjow, keep fucking me,” she said in a tiny, tight voice as she started to pant along with his thrusts.

If she came first, good. He wasn’t nearly there yet, but if she kept moving her hips like that against him, he’d get there quickly. He sat up, rolling his spine, making sure his strokes were rubbing against all the right places. “You feel good. Fuck you’re so hot and wet,” Grimmjow told her.

“Hmm, Hnngh, Oh god, fuck,” she muttered as the tension she felt at her entrance started to deeping along her passage. If this kept up he was going to have a hard time moving. She couldn’t really reach him, but she needed something to hold onto. One hand curled into the pillow over her head, and she brought the other to her mouth, biting a knuckle as she gasped and cried, waiting for that still-elusive line of tension in her body to snap.

The bed started creaking, the headboard hitting the wall with a steady beat. Grimmjow’s hips snapped into Orihime’s with a controlled force. He could feel it. God, could he feel it. She was close. The pad of his thumb pressed against the top of her slit, putting pressure there and rubbing her clit with small circles, hoping that would help bring her to an orgasm.

Almost immediately, she shrieked and her knees rose as she started to come on him. Her thighs trembled and she whined through it, riding out the sparks of pleasure as he continued to thrust through her ever-tightening core. Her eyelids pressed closed, not that it mattered; her vision had gone dark and her ears rang at the force of her climax.

Grimmjow grinned as he tried watching her face. Just as she reached that peak, he started to fuck her harder, holding her legs up. “Yeah, come on my dick,” he groaned. He could feel his own end in sight. He just needed to ride out her coming. It was hard though, because of how damn tight Orihime was on his cock. “Hnnngh.”

A loud moan followed her climax, and she opened her eyes slightly to watch him fall apart inside of her. She panted still as he thrust into her and her hands found their way to his belly, fondling what skin she could reach. Maybe he’d like encouragement, she thought, and she grabbed one of her own tits and cooed at him, “Fuck me, Grimm, I want you to fuck me. You feel so good.”

“Fuck,” he hissed. Pleasure hit his nerves and he knew it was all over. He thrust into her one last time before he held himself there. Shivers went through his body and he could feel his cock twitching inside of her body. “Dammit.”

She could feel his balls pumping the condom full, at first with some force and then tapering off until his grip on her legs weakened and he fell to his elbow. She gave it a minute to catch her breath and then, since he didn’t move, she asked, “Everything okay?”

His blue head nodded. He just needed a minute. That had been one hell of an orgasm. The office fucks were decent, but this had been on another level of heavenly. “You good?” he asked, still a bit breathless as he sat up. Gently, he withdrew himself from her core and flopped to the other side of the bed.

She carefully put her legs down, not wanting to yank on a muscle that had contracted during her climax, and then lay there, breathing heavily, as her damp skin grew goosebumps. “I’m good,” she finally whispered, carefully rolling to her side to look at him. “I’m kind of on cloud nine right now,” she added with a goofy grin.

“Heh,” he laughed. “Don’t be expecting that at the office. I’m only that good in bed.” Grimmjow smiled at her and tucked some hair behind her ear before he sat up. “Bathroom?”

“Right through there,” she answered, pointing in its direction. She sat up on an elbow and watched him go, reaching down for the sheets to cover up with.

Grimmjow threw away the condom and cleaned himself off and did his business before he came out of the bathroom and slipped back into Orihime’s bed. She had worn him out. 

She smiled and kissed his cheek before slipping out of the sheets to take her turn in the bathroom. When she got back to the bedroom, she was pretty sure he was dead to the world. She shut off the lights and crawled back under the sheets, leaving a bit of space between them.

***

Ulquiorra sighed as Monday came around. He met the delivery people in the alley, giving them cash for the fruit that he offered in the cafe. He got his daily delivery of the stuff he couldn’t bake in the store; bagels, donuts, english muffins, and the like. He was very surprised as the clock hit seven and Grimmjow walked into Coffee & Sadness. The guy looked tired, but totally at ease. 

“Yo Ulq,” he said and walked up to the counter. “My lady’s birthday is tomorrow, I think—”

“Your lady?” Ulquiorra asked his brow barely moving. 

“Well kind of. I spent the entire weekend in her bed, and let me tell you. Damn. Kind of want to show some appreciation for a job well done,” Grimmjow replied.

The green eyed man sighed and motioned for one of his underlings to watch the register while he helped his friend. A handmade coffee candle, an indie made mocha lip balm and some small batch vanilla caffeine hand lotion, along with a gift certificate were placed in the white paper gift bag with the words Coffee & Sadness printed on it with the social media accounts associated with the shop.

“Thanks. Um, you said all this stuff is handmade?” Grimmjow asked as he eyed the bag.

“Jodi makes it at her house and sells it online. I offered to give her some brick and mortar space to sell it. Women go nuts over this stuff,” Ulquiorra explained as he ran Grimmjow’s credit card. “Anything else today?”

The other man shook his head and headed out the door. Ulquiorra watched him, imagining that Grimmjow was probably going to sit that bag on someone’s desk without fanfare or he was going to forget about it. 

He hoped today would be normal without any weird or massively complicated orders to do.

***

Even though it was a national holiday, Orihime came into work on Monday, hoping to have a chance to talk to Grimmjow about the logo she had designed. She knew he would probably come into work today; he had mentioned it and he still had a lot of ground to cover to undo Joe and Connor’s fuckup. Plus, she wanted to see him.

The weekend had been a lot of fun. They went through all the condoms they had left between them on Saturday and had to leave her place that night for more. They lazed around when they weren’t screwing, either napping or playing on their phones. They watched parts of a few movies and made out. It was a good time. She was feeling pretty comfortable with him by the time he had left. 

She was also feeling a bit sore. She stretched an extra-long time that morning and went for a walk around the block to limber up before she showered and got ready to go into the office. She decided to stop in for some coffee on the way. 

She eyed Coffee & Sadness as she approached, imagining her logo worked into the current signage. It would look good, she thought, and she was smiling about it as she entered the shop. She kept smiling all the way to the register.

Ulquiorra had his back to her but he turned around. A sigh left him. Maybe he should change the name of the shop to Coffee & Sighs. “It’s too early for your bullshit coffee orders, Miss Inoue. What can I get for you?”

She smirked. “Technically it’s my day off,” she said and eyed the specials board. Someone was standing in front of it. “What’s the new flavor this month?” she asked, glimpsing at his eyes, then narrowing her own as she studied him. She had gotten some of the finer details wrong. She couldn’t see them from where she had sat as she sketched him the week before.

“This month is caramel apple. The flavor of the season is the standard fare of basic bitches, pumpkin flavored everything,” he stated.

She brought her knuckles to her mouth and laughed silently, causing her shoulders to shake. “Tell it like it is, Ulquiorra,” she muttered under her breath. Grimmjow had mentioned the man’s name several more times over the course of the weekend, and she was able to say it now, not that she thought he would hear her. She cleared her throat. “Um, right then. I’ll have the caramel apple in a latte, I suppose. Two percent is fine,” she said, offering him an amused smile.

One eyebrow rose significantly as he looked at her. Had she said his name? He didn’t remember telling her who he was. He scowled for a moment before punching in her order. “Five dollars,” he said picking up a cup and sticking the order sticker on the side after it printed out. He wrote her name in neat uppercase letters and waited for her money.

She took her wallet out and fished out some cash, leaving the billfold open and letting her driver’s license hang out as she shuffled through the bills looking for a five or five singles. “...four, five. Here you go,” she said, making sure the bills were all right side up and facing the same direction before handing them to him.

The stern look lessened as he took the money and counted it. She had managed to make his life a bit easier by doing what she had with the money. This woman was still a mess. “You should put your license in a secure place. Anyone could get your address and rob you or murder you,” Ulquiorra stated before he went to make her latte. He made the espresso and then foamed the milk. He measured out the syrups before making sure everything was mixed before he spooned the foamed dairy on top of the liquid. He added just a dash of cinnamon before putting the lid on top and placing the cup on the counter.

“Thanks, this smells amazing,” she said, ignoring his creepy comment about her license. She decided to sit in the shop for awhile; being early on a holiday, it wasn’t as busy as usual and the sofas on one of the elevated areas of the shop were mostly free. She had never had a chance to sit at them before, so she made a beeline to the one with the best view; one that included a view of the cash register.

He had several more people come in and Ulquiorra got their orders before he went out on the shop floor and picked up some paper off the dark concrete. He straightened the merchandise. He refilled the napkin container on the counter and made sure there were straws in the cup. Today would probably be slow, but Ulquiorra wanted to make sure everything was good to go for business. 

The green-eyed man could feel her watching him. He decided to give her something to watch. He brought his clipboard to the front counter and leaned over it, propping his chin on his hand with the point of his elbow on the polished stone countertop. He was looking over what needed to be done. 

_Super exciting_. Not.

Orihime’s brows rose slightly as he struck an unusual pose, for him, anyway. She had a small sketchpad in her purse, as usual, and took it out quickly, working up a quick anatomy study. He had such great lines. While Grimmjow was built and tall and really, quite similar to a large tree or pick-up truck, this Ulquiorra guy was built more like a dancer or a runner. He was graceful. She could watch him all day and not get bored, probably. She could draw him all day, that was for sure. He had a very interesting look. Even his face lent itself to her flights of fantasy, imagining him as a prince or a thief or a ninja or some kind of pirate or whatever. The Batman thing came back to mind, and she drew a quick, comical sketch of the caped crusader with a mask that highlighted the shopkeeper's stern, heavy brows and large eyes. She chuckled as she finished the last of her coffee.

She sighed. She didn’t want to go yet. Oh well, the cup had a cover on it; no one would know she was just loitering at this point.

As soon as he was done going over the list, Ulquiorra straightened his spine and replaced the clipboard under the register. A couple more customers came in. It looked like it was going to be a dead day, not that he minded. It meant more time for him to people watch. It was one of his favorite things to do. Every couple of seconds he would glance at the redhead, who thought she was being covert. She wasn’t. Ulquiorra finally sighed and poured a cup of black coffee with milk in it and brought it over to her. He set it in front of her. “At this point do you want a photo you can giggle at?” he asked, staring only at her face.

“A photo of what?” she asked, looking back. The events of the weekend had left her feeling a bit bold and flirtatious. The effect hadn’t worn off yet. “I’m not giggling _at_ you. I mostly giggle at myself, if I’m being honest,” she said, offering him a small, innocent eyebrow raise and a smile. “I am interested in people,” she admitted. 

He was about to snap at her, but her last statement struck deep within him. She was someone else who liked watching others. “Well, it’s good you’re not giggling at me. Why do you keep staring at me? I’m not that good looking.”

“Haven’t you ever heard the phrase, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”?” she asked. “I think most people are good looking, if you are actually looking. Some more so than others,” she said, now embarrassed and pursing her lips as she picked at an invisible object on the hem of her skirt.

He’d heard the phrase, but being bullied for most of his life over how he looked, her sentiment didn’t really put him at ease. “It’s good I’m not looking,” he replied and turned around, walking back to the coffee counter. What was it about this redhead that made him want to be social or question her? Why was he engaging her in conversation? Why was he interested? It didn’t make a lot of sense to him.

Orihime picked up the cup he had left at her table and sipped at it. “Coffee,” she said to herself in a warm, happy hum. Well, if she had a refill she may as well make herself comfortable. She took a set of earbuds from her purse and queued up some music. She pressed play and began to listen, her head and shoulders moving slightly to the beat as she drew, her lips making the shapes of the words that she knew from time to time. This time it was “Friday I’m in Love,” by The Cure. It made her happy. The coffee made her happy. This place made her happy. She didn’t realize she was grinning. She was just in her own little world of Columbian coffee, music, art, and her new blog post, where she would put up the batman sketch, recommend a few songs from her playlist and review Coffee & Sadness’ new flavor of the month. She made sure to add a message to tip the awesome waitstaff.

As the clock neared eight, Ulquiorra walked back into the office, leaving one of the employees upfront. He started up the laptop and typed into the browser the name of his business. That silly blog popped up and he clicked on it. Whoever ran the blog made posts almost daily. Today was no different. 

He read the last entry and put those songs into the music app and let it play softly throughout the shop before he emerged again. This time he went to the work room and decided to get some work done. An hour must have passed, because Ulquiorra’s after-hours work was done and he knew it took at least sixty minutes to prep everything. He peeked his head out of the door. 

Orihime was standing up and gathering her things, so he decided to come out of hiding and walked over to where she had been sitting. “Give me the cups and I can toss them,” he said.

“Oh, alright, thank you,” she said, giving him the cups. She hoped he didn’t notice that she had doodled “C&S” with a little apple and caramel candy next to it. It had just been something to keep her hands busy while she listened to music.

Ulquiorra nodded before turning around and making his way to the trash can, depositing the plastic lids in the matching recycling bin beside it.

Orihime checked the space around her to make sure she hadn’t left anything and then put her purse over her shoulder and walked to the exit. As what had become a habit, as she got to the door she paused and looked over her shoulder. If anyone was looking in her direction, she would always smile and nod a silent farewell.

The owner of the shop was staring directly at her. He was wearing an unamused look but he nodded back at her.

***

Orihime entered the office with a smile on her face and stopped at her desk to drop off her purse before making her way to Grimmjow’s office. She knocked on the doorframe as usual, even though there wasn’t even anyone else in this area of the office today.

“Hey, Hime,” Grimmjow said, looking up and going back to his computer screens. “I got your sketch.”

“And?” 

Grimmjow pushed himself away from the desk and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s okay, but not a logo,” he said with a neutral expression. “I scanned it anyway and emailed Ulq about it. He’s good at answering the same day. We should know soon.”

“Oh, I see,” she said, only mildly disappointed, at least outwardly. She wasn’t expecting to blow anyone’s mind with it, but she had poured her heart into it and it stung that it was more or less rejected. However, Orihime had learned how to deal with rejection a long time ago. It wasn’t going to break her down or anything. “If you need help with anything, just holler. I know you have a lot of work to do. I’m going to keep working with the graphics program until lunch and then I’ll get out of your hair if you don’t need anything,” she added with a rap on the doorframe and then spun around toward the large open shared workspace where her computer was.

“Hime!” Grimmjow called out. He knew that wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but he was one of the bosses. If Ulq liked it, then no big deal. If he didn’t like it, it was Grimmjow’s ass on the line. Maybe he could charm his way into her good graces. “Come back in here, please.”

She returned a moment later. “Yes?” she asked.

Grimmjow stood up and then placed the gift bag on the desk. “Tomorrow’s your birthday right?” he asked, raising a brow at her. “Would you care to help me with Doofus and Dillhole’s mistakes? It’d give you some experience with the graphics program.”

She chuckled and peeked inside. “You know me too well, Mr. Jaegerjaquez,” she said with a smirk. “Thank you. And yes, that’s what I’m here for. You can put “intern goals” on my chair when I blow this popsicle stand.”

“I kinda figured you like coffee,” he said, giving her a smile. He then cleared his throat and got back to his business tone. “I’m going to send you the files and then we can discuss what needs to be fixed. This is something you need to learn how to do, Miss Artiste.”

***

Orihime stretched and looked out the window. It was dark already. They still weren’t done. She was starving and getting sleepy. She went back to his office and again, knocked on the doorframe. This time, though, she didn’t wait for a response. “I’m hungry. I’m getting a muffin and some coffee. Want anything?”

“Regular--Wait, does he have a new flavor up yet?”

“Yeah, you can pick caramel apple or pumpkin spice,” she answered.

“Uh, get me an amaretto Italian soda and three grilled cheese,” Grimmjow said, looking up from the folder in front of him. He stood up and dug into his wallet for some money and handed her twenty-five dollars. “Get yourself something too.”

“You got it,” she said, then left and hurried across the street. She wasn’t sure if they would be closing early because of the holiday. Normally they’d be open until ten, and it was only just before six, but she wasn’t sure. She sighed in relief when the door opened.

Ulquiorra was sitting at a table reading one of his favorite books of all time. Business was pretty much dead today. Most of the people that needed coffee were celebrating Labor Day with their friends and families. He glanced up at whoever just walked in and then put the book down. “You’re back?”

“Can’t seem to stay away,” she muttered. “I need a couple to-go orders, if you’re not just about to close or anything,” she said, cringing a bit at the idea that she might be inconveniencing him. 

“The sign says until ten. I might close early though,” Ulquiorra replied as he stood up. It had been just him and Ethan running the place. Truthfully he had been bored and welcomed the distraction. “Okay, what do you want?”

“Well, my boss wants three grilled cheese and an amaretto Italian soda. I’ll take another caramel apple latte because that was like, um, a party in my mouth. And a muffin. What’s good today?”

“We have blueberry, lemon poppyseed, chocolate, vanilla bean, banana nut, caramel apple and pumpkin pie muffins,” he replied as he tapped in the order as she said it.

“Are you trying to tell me that they are all good? Are you humblebragging?” she asked, a bit giddy in her fatigue.

Ulquiorra glanced at her and shook his head. “The lemon muffin is amazing. The caramel apple one needs some tweaking, but it’s decent. I like the vanilla bean muffin though. I put Macadamia nuts in them.”

“Oh, I do like nuts. Makes it more of a meal, I think,” she thought out loud. “I’ll take a lemon and a vanilla, then. One for now and one for breakfast,” she said, giving him a squinty-eyed grin. The song she had listened to earlier in the day came over the speakers then. “I love this song,” she commented.

His lips twitched as he fought not to laugh at her statement. He blinked several times before he told her the total. It was over twenty-five dollars. Ulquiorra saw her frown and his mouth twisted to the side. “Since it’s the end of the day, I’ll knock it down to twenty, even. Okay?”

“Really?” she asked, handing him the twenty. “Guess the rest goes into the tip jar, then. Consider it a “convenience fee” for having to deal with me twice in one day,” she said with a giggle.

“If you came in here with those silly and unbelievable coffee orders that you do, I’d charge you double,” he replied. Ulquiorra walked over to the fridge and opened it and used wax paper sheets to extract three premade sandwiches. All he had to do was put them in the pan and cook them. He got out three skillets and brushed each sandwich with butter before he plunked them down on the stove. Then he went about getting Orihime’s muffins, using the same method to grab the baked goods and put them in a smallish box. 

Orihime leaned over the counter and watched him, snickering about the crazy orders comment. “Susan and Karen are not in today; you’re safe,” she said quietly. If he didn’t hear, he didn’t hear. She didn’t notice how the way she was posed showed off quite a bit of her bust; her blouse tugged down at the buttons, and with the way she was leaning, it looked like she was about to have a wardrobe malfunction.

“I would really not like this week’s incident to be you baring your breasts,” Ulquiorra said as he brought the box to the counter. “I’m sure you’re a nice woman, but honestly, the effort is wasted.”

Orihime looked down and saw what he was talking about and blushed. “Sorry… um, didn’t realize. They are just kind of out there…” she looked like she was going to die of embarrassment as her eyes pressed closed and she took a step back and adjusted her clothing. Then it sunk in, what he had said. _The effort was wasted._ She laughed. No wonder he had reminded her of Uryu. She visibly relaxed then and took her items. “Anyway, won’t happen again. I’ll be sure to wear my nun costume from now on,” she said and walked toward the door, once again stopping and nodding a goodbye.

Hmph. He thought as he watched her. She walked with a fair amount of confidence. “Make it a pregnant nun just for shits and giggles.” Ulquiorra said as she turned around.

“Maybe for Halloween, but only if you go as the dirty confessional priest, okay?” she didn’t turn around to say it, still looking over her shoulder to watch for a reaction with one eye.

Ulquiorra wasn’t really paying attention to her, but he smiled. It was such a rare thing for him to find joy in anything, but when he did, it was blinding. He began to wipe the counter down, but after a moment he stopped when he didn’t hear the small beep that told him someone opened the door. 

He looked up at her with that smile on his face, the merriment fading quickly.

She watched it fade as one might watch the sun set past the horizon, a mix of anticipation and poignancy on her face, and when it was over, she mourned for a second and then smiled again. “Well, then, that was worth it. I’ll probably see you tomorrow, Father. No promises about crazy orders,” she said. Although her words were playful, her tone was soft and sweet. “Goodnight,” she said before turning back to the door.

The only farewell she got was a slow nod.


	4. Soy Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Ulquiorra posted the photo he took of the apples, caramel cubes, a cupcake, and a latte. He gave the same blurb he did as last month, except changing a few words and hashtags. It was a very autumnal feeling. All he needed were some fallen leaves and a chunky sweater. He rolled his eyes at himself.

Friday was a busy day and night for the shop. People got paid. Kids had all the time in the world, at least they seemed to think that. He watched as the storm clouds rolled in. It was going to rain. Rain meant quiet nights with no one bothering him. As he clocked out, he gave Rangiku a rundown of what things had been like that day, then went through the storage room door to the hallway that would allow him to go upstairs. As soon he was inside his apartment, he took a deep breath and released it in a long hiss. He didn’t have to speak to anyone, really, until Monday. He didn’t want to speak to anyone.

He had gone to Starrk’s the night before, on Grimmjow’s invitation, only to be told by Nnoitra that the guy had bailed because his bitch had called and Grimmjow went running. Wonderful. He stayed for a drink and a chat with the bar owner before retreating to his haven. He needed to answer emails from vendors.

Cathy, the cheese person, was trying to get him to add a cheese platter to his menu. She even said she would teach him how to arrange it. Ulquiorra had his suspicions that she wanted to do more than that with him. He would probably have to find a new person to buy bleu cheese from. An idea struck him, and he walked over to his desk in the far corner of the living room and wrote down _peach/gorgonzola_ on a pad of paper before he started taking off his work clothes. It was time to switch things around anyway, with the start of the colder months.

He loosened the tie and unbuttoned the vest, shedding them as he reached his bathroom. His body was nice looking. Ulquiorra had spent most of his time while in prison working out. It was a way to release the irritation he felt keep himself out of trouble. People mostly stayed away from him. Occasionally he got bullied, but it was prison. The guys in there thought they could do as they pleased.

It was hilarious that his cell partner called him “Iceman”, and there were rumors that he worked for the mob or some stupid nonsense. Ulquiorra wouldn’t involve himself in dealings like that. It was bad enough his uncle dabbled with those types of people.

Ulquiorra’s father had made his wealth by legitimate means as a talented desiger/builder. People wanted ultra modern houses with minimal lines. People needed a builder to make changes to plans. On the other hand, Sousuke Aizen, Robert Cifer’s half brother, made his fortune with bodies, politics, and shady real estate deals. He had to have half of Chicago in his pocket. 

Not that it mattered. He didn’t talk to his uncle or his cousin all that much. Speaking of his cousin… Nnoitra finally told him what Gin was doing this far north. His uncle had offered the man a lucrative sum to become his personal lawyer. 

How had Nnoitra found this out?

He had finished hooking up with Nel and was leaving his uncle’s house when he overheard the conversation.

Ulquiorra didn’t like Gin. The man had tried to get the book thrown at him with sentencing and he was pissed off that he didn’t get to drag Ulquiorra through the mud. He couldn’t; Ulquiorra pled guilty. That entire ordeal had cost him over a million to get cleared up and out of his way. He still had the mark on his record though.

First Degree Assault. Stab victim.

Luppi Anetor was not a victim. He was a manipulative bastard. He thought it was funny to catch Ulquiorra’s eye in college. At first, Ulq thought he was a female, only to realize, as they were grinding against each other in Ulquiorra’s dorm room, that Luppi was male. Ulquiorra decided to try it out, only to find that he wasn’t really into him.

Luppi was the worst sort of person. He was bitchy. He gossiped about everyone. He thought he was better than everyone. He basically told Ulquiorra that he would shit on and step on anyone who stood in his way. Ulquiorra hadn’t meant for things to take a turn for the worst with Luppi. 

A few months into this _thing_ that they had, Ulquiorra was tired of it. Luppi wanted to have sex. The green-eyed man wasn’t interested. The fight happened. Luppi had a baseball bat and was going to hit him. Ulquiorra just decided to jump first. He punctured Luppi’s lung with the small knife.

He still saw the blood on his hands some days. He still felt the metal of the handcuffs on his wrists. He remembered his mug shot. He remembered the lawyers, the jail, the judge… Everything. It hung on his brain, especially when he couldn’t sleep at night. 

His phone dinged.

Grimmjow. This time he wanted to know what he thought of the logo. Dammit. That was right. He needed to answer emails. 

Truthfully, the drawing he was sent was good, but Ulquiorra knew it wasn’t his friend’s work. Grimmjow’s designs were very no-nonsense. This drawing had a romantic quality. Someone else drew this. Someone who had been studying him for a while.

While he was at it, he could try bribing the person who owned coffeeandsadness.com into giving it up along with all the social media accounts associated with the name. He’d offered almost ten grand the last time, and whomever was behind the blog turned him down, explaining that he was wasting his time and that they were attached to the URL. 

A heavy sigh left him as he emptied his pockets out, placing all the items onto the bathroom counter and removing his dress pants and boxer briefs. He’d shower, eat and then go to the grocery. Then he could contemplate the logo some more.

***

The first week of Orihime's senior year went well. Most of her classes were mid mornings, except on Thursdays when she had two in the afternoon. Rotten Brand Management had extended her internship and allowed her to work as able, since she didn’t cause any trouble and didn’t complain about running errands. It helped that Grimmjow had asked that she be kept on specifically. She didn’t know anything about that, though.

Tonight, she was going to celebrate the first week back to school in the books. Her girlfriends had talked her into getting dressed up and taking a train from Evanston to Lincoln Park. The club was not fancy, but Orihime’s girlfriends didn’t do things halfway.

She was kind of excited. Her budding relationship with Grimmjow had started stripping away the layers of hurt and humiliation she had been carrying around since breaking up with Uryu Ishida her freshman year. She was looking forward to going out and dancing, and maybe being flirted with. It felt good. She even decided to splurge on a dress. It wasn’t expensive, but it was _new ._ She even bought some new underwear, something that matched the dress. Both were a dark wine red, although the panties were basically just strings that held a piece of lace together in the front. The dress had metallic thread sewn throughout it so that it sparkled a bit when she moved. It was short. It was tight. It showed off a lot of decolletage. She had chuckled when she first tried it on; she was reminded of what her favorite, probably gay, baristo had said about her boobs. He certainly would not approve. It was a wasted effort.

Too bad for him. She thought she looked awesome.

She borrowed some costume jewelry from a friend and stood in front of the mirror and sent a picture to Grimmjow.

\- Going out tonight. Maybe if you’re not too tired you can play catch me if you can. Later <3

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow as his phone went off. He picked it up and glanced at the text message. Damn. Damn. Damn. Orihime looked good. Too damn good. He had spent most of the week at her place, leaving her bed in the early morning hours to drive across the city to his own place. He barely made it to work on time, but she kept him busy. He managed to take her out a couple times to have dinner or lunch.

Just looking at the photo, Grimmjow reached under his desk to adjust his cock. It was amazing how hard she could make him.

\- you’re going to keep ME waiting? That dress is nice. Don’t break any hearts. Still at work tho for the moment.

She chuckled.

\- no promises about the heartbreaking. Sorry to keep you waiting, but if you gotta work… y’know. Well, if you finish early you can come rescue me from the girls? Lol jk 

They were just fucking, for now. Orihime had a strong suspicion that Grimmjow would duck and run if she pushed any relationship stuff on him, so she tried to keep it lighthearted.

\- tempting me now. Lmk where you’ll be and I’ll swoop in. I like playing cat and mouse

After he sent the text, Grimmjow decided to cut out early. His boss had already left for the day. Most of the people were gone. He called Ulquiorra. If he was going out might as well take a wingman or at least get the guy laid.

“What Grimmjow?”

“Wanna go out?”

He could hear the disgust in his friend’s voice. “No. I’m at the grocery,” he stated. 

Blue eyes rolled as Grimmjow got into his car. “C’mon let loose.”

“Why, so you can ditch me again?”

“Tch. If you saw her, you’d drop everything too.”

“Highly unlikely,” Ulquiorra said. 

“Fine, asshole.”

He hung up and then sent Orihime another message.

\- leaving work. Taking a shower. Your place?

She was already on her way out. 

\- Gonna get a boost at C&S first. Meet you there? Otherwise we’re going to Apt. in LP.

Grimmjow sighed. 

\- I got a shot of something you can have.

Orihime smiled and scoffed. “I’m sure you do,” she said to herself, not watching where she was walking. 

\- Oh? Well I plan on having a shot of tequila and after that I’m at the mercy of whoever’s buying. *wink wink* lol

It took him some time to reply due to traffic, but Grimmjow scowled at the phone when he saw her message. Hmph. Okay. After all she was a college student.

\- Going to find a new king for your castle?

Oh. Oh my god. Her mouth fell open as she read that. What did he mean? What was he implying? Only one way to find out. Her heart pounded as she typed out her response.

\- You wanna be king?

A grin stretched his lips and he replied.

\- I’m already king.

Oh. OH. Oh my god. Her face turned bright red as she read the message and her breathing sped up. Wow. Oh. Okay. Wow. “Oh,” she said aloud, and her hands shook as she tried to reply. 

Another message came through. 

\- I staked my claim.

“Holy shit!” she squeaked. She walked on unsteady legs with a grin that hurt her cheeks, it was so wide. Even though it was already dark, the reflection off of those pearly whites could blind someone. She guessed when her friends inevitably asked, and she called Grimmjow her boyfriend, she wouldn’t be lying.

\- Noted. Xoxo.

When Coffee & Sadness came into view, she still had that huge grin on her face. She didn’t think anything could bring her down at that point. She waved through the glass at the group of friends who already stood in line for coffee inside. She stood outside for a moment, fumbling with her purse to put her phone into it before opening the door.

She knew her friends. They were probably all getting soy pumpkin spice lattes with extra sweetener. They were smiley and happy and fun, but they were basic AF. She heard a chorus of giggles and saw the blond guy behind the counter sigh. She made eye contact with the woman taking orders and gave her an apologetic nose wrinkle.

When it was her turn to order, she said to the woman, “So, I guess it’s good that Mr. Cifer isn’t in. My friends are nice, but…” she looked at them and smiled. “I’ll have a double shot of espresso, please.”

Rangiku glanced at the woman. She recognized her from the other week. Ulquiorra had comped her a latte or something. She then looked at the clock on the register screen. It was after eight. Her boss was probably upstairs. “Yeah, Ulq would just sigh louder than Izuru. Six dollars please.”

She took out her card and swiped it through the card reader. She needed her cash for tonight. “He seems down,” she said softly, eyeing the man making the coffee.

“Nope, that’s Izuru for you. He and Ulq make the sadness of this place pop,” the blonde said and grabbed a cup to make Orihime’s order. After it was done, she brought it to Orihime with a smile. “Are you friends with Ulq?”

“No, not really. He talks to me sometimes, but not really in a friendly way. Last week he told me it would be gross if my, _incident_?” she said, as if she was unsure if that was the right word, “for the week would be my boobs falling out of my shirt. Guess he’s gay, huh?”

All activity stopped behind the counter and then the three people working, Rangiku, Izuru, and Jake, all started laughing. “Oh, darling, no. He’s not gay. Trust me, I know. He didn’t want to disrespect you,” Rangiku said after wiping away a tear. Oh, that had been a good laugh.

Orihime’s brow furrowed. She didn’t get it. Why would he care about disrespecting her? He was usually on the rude side, anyway. “Well, maybe he just doesn’t like me, then,” she said with a nervous chuckle, stepping away from the register and to the pick-up counter.

Rangiku shared a look with the other two and then went to help the boys making those basic bitch lattes.

***

Grimmjow called Orihime about twenty minutes later. “Where are you?” he asked.

“Hey!” she answered, a bit shy after the texts from earlier. “I’m still trying to round up the Pumpkin Spices. Where are you?”

“Haaa! That’s not a nice thing to say about your posse. I’m pulling up to this coffee shop,” he said. He could see Orihime through the glass. 

She turned around and stood up, smiling at him when she saw him. She couldn’t sit still. She started walking toward the door, the apples of her cheeks glowing.

As soon as he was inside, he smirked at her. “Let me get something to drink. I have a feeling I’m going to need the energy tonight,” Grimmjow said, putting his arm around her waist.

She brought her hand to her mouth, her eyes drifting over to her group of friends, who had not missed the big, hot, blue-haired man escorting her back to the counter. _Ha! Suck it, bitches_ , she thought to herself and chuckled. “You look nice,” she said, putting a hand on his ribcage.

“You look nicer. Puts me to shame,” Grimmjow said. He turned to Rangiku, who had her hands on her hips and was looking at them with a disapproving glare. “Sup Ran? Iced coffee with uh… bourbon flavor.”

“Eight dollars.”

“What?” Grimmjow said glaring at her. What the fuck was up her ass tonight. “You’re not going to budge, are you?”

“Grimmjow, I know you. You’ll complain until I make it an iced coffee with a shot of bourbon flavor and a shot of espresso. Even then you’ll bitch, so I’m making a cold brew with a shot of espresso and bourbon flavor. The extra dollar is the bullshit fee.” Rangiku explained. 

Damn. The blonde knew him well. He pulled his wallet out and handed the woman a ten dollar bill. He moved to the side and brought Orihime with him. “What’s the big occasion that you’re going out?” he asked.

“Just back to school. Most of them were out of town for summer internships. Kind of a kick off party,” she explained, as a couple of her friends drifted over in their direction.

“Orihime! Who is this!?” a tall blonde said.

“Yeah, how come you didn’t tell us you had a boyfriend?!” a brunette with dark skin asked, walking straight up to Grimmjow and saying, “Hi, I’m Jackie, it’s nice to see Orihime with someone of your… I mean up to her caliber,” she purred, running a hand down the back of his shoulder.

“Um, Grimm, this is Tori and Jackie. This is Grimmjow,” she said to the women.

Grimmjow completely ignored the woman who touched him, then turned to the other woman. He nodded at her. “Hi,” he said.

Orihime had stiffened when Jackie approached. She was constantly chasing men away from her and swiping them for herself. She relaxed and dipped a finger into Grimmjow’s back pocket when he ignored the other woman. 

“Are you coming out with us?” Tori asked.

He didn’t look at her, instead looking at Orihime. He had dealt with bitches like this before. “Am I _coming_ with you, Hime?”

“You usually are, Babe,” she purred. She didn’t even care about going to the club anymore. “Wherever you want me to _come_ , I will,”

Grimmjow grinned at her then turned to the woman who addressed him. “Any more questions?”

The blonde smiled knowingly. “Nope. Have a good night, Orihime, though I’m sure you will. It was nice meeting you, Orihime’s boyfriend,” she said, pulling Jackie away with her. Tori was a good wingwoman.

Orihime mouthed, “Thank you,” to the blonde and waved. “Guess my schedule just opened up, unless you want to go to that club,” she said.

“You’re all dressed up. I’d hate for it to go to waste, since you look so damn delicious in it.”

“Okay. You want to go there or somewhere else?”

“They’re your plans,” Grimmjow said with a lusty expression. “I’ll come wherever you go.”

“GRIMMJOW! COFFEE!”

He turned his head and then looked to see Rangiku holding his cup. “Let me get my drink and we can do whatever you want. I say we go out with your friends.”

She bit her lip. There was a glimmer of realization that he might be the one. This might not be _just_ affection. She might be able to love him. It was still early, though. Better to let those feelings percolate and see what happened. She smiled and nodded. “Let’s go, then.”

He got his drink and then escorted her out to his car. Grimmjow was only a gentleman to a point. Orihime was on her own when it came to opening car doors.

She got in carefully; her dress was very short. She buckled up and sat back. “This is a nice car, I never really said anything before,” she mentioned. It was just an innocuous comment.

His eyes glanced at her legs. Grimmjow nodded as he put the car in gear and drove off. “You know where this place is?” he asked putting a hand on her upper thigh. 

“Yeah, just get on the expressway, I’ll navigate from there,” she said with a smile. She raised her leg into his palm a bit. “How was your day?”

A finger or two slipped under the hem of her dress. “It was okay. Missed you around the office,” he said as he headed towards the expressway. “At least you’re learning right?”

“Hmm,” she chuckled. “Yeah, but one sometimes wonders which experience is more, um, educational,” she said, twisting her hips a bit so that his fingertips brushed against her new lace panties.

“Those feel nice. Damn, if I didn’t have to drive I’d have my fingers inside you right now,” Grimmjow said and glanced at her.

“Well, it is just a matter of time, anyway,” she murmured, looking over at him. She’d never had an opportunity to study him like this. He usually had eyes available to look at her or she otherwise felt unable, but here, in the car, when he had to focus on the road, she had a chance to really have a good look.

She already knew he was handsome and well built. He was a big man. His jaw was big. His neck and shoulders were big. His chest was muscular and broad. Even his nose was a bit on the big side, jutting to a strong point. She imagined how they looked together, side by side. It wasn’t a bad image.

For a moment, the mental image of them together glitched, and Orihime had a glimpse of herself next to the questionably gay baristo. She smothered a laugh. What was that about?

It didn’t matter. Grimmjow was looking more and more like her future. Her heart fluttered. 

“Whatcha grinning about?”

“Oh, nothing, just thinking,” she said, sounding altogether too pleased.

His fingers brushed against the front of her panties again. “I tried to invite Ulq out, but he’s being a bitch. He probably would have put that one bitch in her place,” Grimmjow said, applying more pressure.

“Ooh!” she squeaked. “Well, I guess that’s for the best; I don’t think he would like to see me like this,” she chuckled.

“Why do you say that?” Grimmjow glanced at her before letting a finger trail along the edge of the lace. “Open your legs a bit wider.”

She bit her lip and breathed hard in anticipation as she did as he commanded, sinking slightly into the seat to raise her entrance off of it. “Well, last week I was in the coffee house and leaned over the counter. My boobs kind of ballooned out of my top a bit and his reaction was of the “ew” variety,” she said with a small smirk. “I thought he was gay but that blonde there took offense when I said something. Guess she has a thing for him.”

“Nah, they fucked once. Don’t tell Ulquiorra he can’t do something, or that you can make him do something. He’ll prove you wrong. He has proved several women wrong,” Grimmjow said. His hand slipped under the lace and he gently stroked the skin. “I think Ran told him he couldn’t fuck his way out of a wet paper bag with directions. Apparently, she came back the next day and applied for a job.”

Orihime scoffed. “He can’t be _that_ good. He’s no you,” she said, looking at him with half-lidded eyes and melting into her seat. Just having his fingers on her skin was making her core thump. “I don’t know how I’m going to behave myself tonight.”

“No one says you have to, Hime. Nothing says you have to behave. I’m not going to behave.”

She whimpered. “Grimmjow,” she cooed, reaching over to put her hand over his crotch.

He grinned at her before focusing on traffic. “Don’t distract the driver, Princess,” he growled, shifting in his seat.

“Sorry,” she murmured, still smiling. “I’ll save it for later, your majesty,” she added, licking her lips.

Grimmjow still had his hand between her legs when they pulled into the parking lot of the club.

***

The club was packed. Of course, Orihime and her friends, plus Grimmjow, got to skip to the front of the line. The music was loud and the drinks were served quickly. Orihime straddled one of Grimmjow’s legs and leaned her weight into his hands as she swayed her upper body from side to side in time with the music. Her head leaned back, exposing a long expanse of neck and chest. She didn’t have a care in the world. She was here with her man and having fun.

Grimmjow looked smug as he sat at the table. Watching this pretty young woman practically shaking her ass on him was a turn on. His hands slid up and down her torso as she did it. “Having fun?” he asked in her ear before biting her earlobe.

“Yeah, are you?” she breathed, “I’m about ready to screw you right here, though,” she murmured into his ear.

“As much as I would love that,” he replied, running two fingers down the bare skin of her back, “I’d much rather fuck you in my car or maybe take you to my place.”

“Both?’ she proposed breathlessly.

Damn. Damn. Damn. She knew how to drive him crazy and turn him on. “You know how to keep a man happy, don’t you?” he asked, his teeth scraping against her neck.

She shrugged. Experience had taught her otherwise. “If you’re happy, I’m happy,” she said, one of her small hands gripping his shirt.

“I’m happy,” he said. “Sure you don’t want to go out and dance with your friends?”

“Do you want to watch?” she asked, backing up a bit to regard him.

Watch? He grabbed her by the back of her neck and kissed Orihime hard. “Go have some fun,” Grimmjow replied.

She smiled in a daze at him for a moment until she got her head back on straight. “Alright,” she said dreamily and then got up to join her friends, dancing on the outskirts of the group so Grimmjow could see her. She had her hands all over herself and sometimes on her friends. She stared Grimmjow down as she bent her knees and lowered her ass nearly to the floor. She didn’t flinch when one of her girlfriends came up behind her and ran her hands up and down Orihime’s front, trying to get attention. Orihime loved the feeling of being young and alive and sexually aware. She loved the idea of Grimmjow being turned on while watching her. 

She didn’t notice when her friend had left and a man took her place.

Grimmjow stood up and glared as Orihime started dancing against another man. What the hell? He walked up to the small woman and scowled. “Hime,” he snapped.

The man behind her snarled, “You got a problem, Buddy?”

Orihime shrieked, not anticipating a male voice behind her, and leapt towards Grimmjow, grasping the fabric of his shirt and trying to hide herself in his body. “Who was that?!”

His lip curled as he stared down the other man. Scrawny motherfucker slinked off, giving the blue haired man the middle finger. “What the hell was that, more like it,” he replied. “You ready to go?”

She nodded, still clinging to him. “I don’t know. I was dancing with Madison and then you got mad and then Maddie was a man?” She looked up at him with a grateful pout and said, “Let’s go.”

Tch. Those women probably ditched the redhead because Grimmjow had snubbed their ring leader. “Bitches,” he muttered and took her hand.

She wrapped her other hand around his arm and squished her tits into it, wanting to feel invisible as she followed him outside.

They hadn’t been there very long. Grimmjow’s mood had turned slightly sour. This is why he didn’t do things like this. All he wanted to do was go find that guy and beat his face in. “You okay?” He asked once they reached the car. He had her pinned against the passenger side door.

“Better, now. Thanks for the rescue,” she said, obviously ashamed at what had happened. “Sorry for ruining the night.”

“Not your fault,” Grimmjow growled. He leaned down and captured her lips in a hard kiss, his hands sliding up her rib cage to her tits. 

She was putty in his hands. “Grimmjow,” she cooed when he broke the kiss. “I want you.”

“Gonna wait,” he said, breathing heavy against her neck. “I’m gonna have you soaked when I get you in my bed. Take those panties off.”

She nodded, licking the side of his neck before looking both ways, and seeing no one, reached under her skirt and pulled the panties past the thickest point of her thighs, then let them fall down to her ankles. She stepped out of one side, then lifted a high-heeled foot to pick them up off the other, balling them up in one hand. “These are already soaked. I’ve been dancing on you or watching you all night,” she whispered into his ear and bit the lobe.

He chuckled before he rubbed her slit, letting his fingers slide against the soft skin. She was wet. “I want it dripping.” Grimmjow pulled back and stared at her before he took a step back to show her he was fully hard.

She wet her lips and looked at it. “I really, really want it, though,” she pouted, looking up at him with wide, round eyes from under her lashes.

“I said,” Grimmjow replied and pinned her again making sure his cock was pressed against her body, “I said you are gonna wait. I don’t have anything with me.”

“Oh,” she breathed. “Doesn’t mean I can’t have it,” she said, putting a hand on his ass. “Just means I can’t have it in me.”

Hnngh. This chick was going to be the death of him. “Yeah? Doesn’t mean I’m going to give it to you.” He smiled at her before kissing her again. “Get in the car.”

“Okay,” she whispered, smiling at him like he was the king. As far as she was concerned, it was true.

As soon as her tiny form was in the car, Grimmjow pounced, pulling her into his lap. He had the seat as far back as it would go to make room for her. Being in the dimly lit back corner of the small lot had an advantage. “I can put it in, just means I can’t stay there,” he murmured to her.

She wasn’t sure about that. “Umm,” she bit her lip. Her resolve was wavering. “I could just put it in my mouth?” she offered. “It’s tempting, but…” she whimpered. She really wanted him. She put her arms around his neck and whined.

A grin spread over his face. Then his phone vibrated in his pocket. Jesus. He was trying to get laid and someone was disturbing him. He reached into his jeans and pulled out the device. He used his other hand between her legs, stroking the skin there. “What Ulq? I’m bus--Oh. Yeah? Okay. Okay. I’ll get test runs printed up. Nah, one of my interns did it. Maybe, a gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.” Grimmjow looked at Orihime and flashed his brows. “Yeah. I’ll tell her.”

When he hung up, he slipped two fingers into Orihime. “Ulq liked your design but he wants to meet with you to make some changes,” he murmured before tossing his phone into the passenger seat.

She gave him an excited, toothy grin. “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!” she squealed. “Really?” she asked, her eyes closing as his fingers pushed into her.

“Enough about work,” he growled, as he fingered her. She was wet and getting wetter with each stroke. “Yeah, this is good. I can’t wait to have you ride me on my bed. I’m going to love hearing you scream my name, Hime.”

“Take me home, then” she said, biting his neck softly.

When Grimmjow removed his fingers from her, he brought them up to his lips and sucked all the moisture off. _Not bad_ , he thought. He then reached over for his phone and motioned for Orihime to return to the seat. “I’m going to have to keep condoms everywhere with you, aren’t I?”

“It would be prudent,” she said under her breath, hitching her skirt back down to cover her ass. She didn’t want to leave a mess on the seat.

They pulled into a posh looking apartment building’s garage and Grimmjow parked the car in spot number six. “My lucky number,” he said to Orihime before he got out. He waited for her and led her out of the garage to the door. The lobby was nice. The building was nice. As much as Grimmjow paid a month, it had better be nice. “It’s not your humble abode,” he smiled.

“No, it sure isn’t,” she said, her eyes widening as she took in the space. She was completely overwhelmed. She had been in some McMansions before, back in the ‘burbs, but this was next level. She had always lived in old, dirty buildings. Everything here was immaculate. It was new. It smelled like freshness, not ashtrays and feet and mice droppings and cat piss. “Wow.”

“Yeah? You like?” he asked as he pulled her up the stairs. He lived on the second floor. It wasn’t like it was Ulquiorra’s apartment on the third floor and not forty-five feet in the air. “Apartment six, okay? Can you remember that?”

“Got it,” she said with a giggle. Everything was six. “Six. Spot six, apartment six. I think I can keep it straight,” she said as her heels tapped up the stairs.

When they arrived at the door that had a six on it, Grimmjow unlocked the three locks and let Orihime in, before he entered behind her and relocked the door. “Welcome to Casa Jaegerjaquez, Miss Inoue.”

“Thank you, my liege,” she said with a giggle. “This is quite the castle. You have good taste,” she said, turning slowly and stopping when her eyes landed back on him. She had good taste, too, she thought, looking him up and down.

“Ya thirsty? Hungry? We can take a few minutes to settle down before I have you on your knees in the bedroom.”

“Some water would be wise, at least,” she said, walking towards him, smiling at his hospitality. “Do you have company over often? This place is clean.”

“I don’t normally bring anyone home.”

She blushed. Was she special? She couldn’t ask, it would appear too conceited. She just looked to the ground, off to the side, and smiled. “Thanks,” she murmured.

Just as he was about to kiss Orihime, his phone rang. Again. Jesus. Fucking. Christ. “I swear to fucking--” It was Ulquiorra again. “Fucking asshole.” Blue eyes looked at Orihime and he sighed. “Kitchen is behind me. Glasses are above the coffee pot. I’ve got to take this. Client and all that.”

As Grimmjow walked away and around the corner to the area he considered his office, he answered the call. “What?”

“I know you said an intern did this. I’m curious as to which coffee gofer did it,” Ulquiorra asked.

“Do you even get the names of the coffee people?”

“I know a couple of their names,” the other man answered.

“It’s the one I’m fucking and you keep cockblocking me,” Grimmjow growled. “Why is it so important?”

He heard the sigh. “It’s called curiosity. I am the client. I deserve to know who did the logo.”

“Are you busy Monday?”

“Why can’t I know now?”

Another low growl was building in his throat. “Because she’s at my house and I’m getting ready to spend the weekend with her,” he stated in a slow and angry way.

There was a hint of amusement to the reply. “Wow. Must be serious. Gonna let Nnoitra fuck this up too?”

“Fuck off, Ulq. I’ll see you Monday.” Grimmjow hung up and turned the phone off, irritated and in no way an amorous mood now. He sighed and went back to where he left Orihime. A strained smile came over his face as he sat down on a barstool and started untying his boots. “Are you busy on Monday?”

“I have a class in the morning and I was planning on going to work after that. Why do you ask?” she said after finishing her glass of water.

“I set up a meeting with Ulquiorra on Monday. So when you come into work, I’ll tell him to hop on over to Rotten,” he said and then sighed, running his hands through his hair. “I know I promised you screaming but… he kind of stressed me out. Do you mind watching a movie or something? Talk? Tell each other bad jokes?”

He had been too wrapped up in his own distress to notice her hiss in a sharp breath at the news of meeting Ulquiorra on Monday. “Um, yeah. That sounds good. Do you, um, have something else I could wear?” she asked, looking down at herself. There was no way she was going to hang out with so much of her… _hanging out._

“Yeah, T-shirt, okay--Wait… You have nothing on under that. Jesus.” He looked down at his lap and shook his head. Just thinking about that was turning him on. “My pants would be huge on you.”

“Yeah, probably,” she said with a giggle. “I could maybe wear your underwear, I mean…” she turned around and gave her ass a tap. “It holds stuff up,” she said with a slight grimace.

Grimmjow stood up and stripped his t-shirt off, letting it fall from his hand. He could forget his problems and his stress for now. “C’mon, let me show you where you’re going to spend the next couple days.”


	5. Anise and Wormwood

Orihime’s class was the same as always, but her leg wouldn’t stop jigging on its own. Her sketches were a mess. She slipped out of class before she even showed her work to her critique partner, citing an upset stomach. 

She went home to wash her hands and check her face and change her clothes. She was nervous. She thought she ought to take a shower since she had been sweating. If everything went well at this meeting, this would be her first paid art job. Her internship was just a regular job. This meant something big to her. It meant she was a professional artist.

She had to look perfect. She had to _be_ perfect. She wanted to be taken seriously.

So she took a shower. She blew out her hair to perfect straightness and volume. She put on soft, natural-looking makeup. She took out a pair of very fitted maroon slacks and a matching sweater with half-sleeves and a low mock turtleneck. She even wore a white belt. She _never_ wore belts. It looked respectable and polished without looking try-hard.

She looked at herself in the mirror after putting on ballet flats and nodded. She was ready for this. She grabbed her bag and walked out of her building. This could be the day that eclipsed the art award she got when she was sixteen and her acceptance and scholarship to Northwestern. A deep breath was required before she walked through the doors of Rotten Brand Management.

Grimmjow watched for the woman when she came in. He walked out of his office and said, “Inoue!” before turning back around and taking a deep breath. Kuchiki wanted this settled and done this week if Ulq wasn’t buying a media package. He had a gift bag printed with the logo on it. He had a paper cup with the logo on it. He even had a paper sleeve with the damn eyes on it.

To be honest, with as many sketches he had seen of Ulquiorra at Orihime’s apartment, he felt a little threatened. It was daunting to see them there. He had never seen one sketch of himself while looking through her drawings and giving critiques. 

He was on the phone with Ulquiorra when Orihime stepped inside. “Yeah, okay, see you in a minute.”

When he saw Orihime, he gave her a smile, “Ready for this? Ulquiorra is very critical.”

She inhaled slowly and nodded. “I gathered that. I’m ready.”

“Good. Stay here, I’m going to get him.” Grimmjow said and left the office.

***

Ulquiorra looked bored as he took his hair out of the bun he always put it in while working. He didn’t need the health department on his ass for hair violations. He made sure it looked neat before he left the coffee shop, straightening his tie as he walked out of the door. He looked both ways before he jogged across the street, and got there just as Grimmjow came out of the building. “Grimmjow,” he said.

“C’mon. Look, be nice to her. She’s only an intern. She’s not used to people tearing apart her entire creative work. I know she’s sensitive to that even when I go over her artwork,” Grimmjow said as they walked inside. 

“This is your girlfriend, for lack of a better term?”

“Eh, kind of. I really like her.”

He scoffed. The green-eyed man was led past the clusters of desks. Grimmjow entered the office first and Ulquiorra was prepared to see some blonde office bimbo. He didn’t expect to see the person he was curious about. He stood in the doorway, mouth set in an angry line and stared at Grimmjow. 

Grimmjow was fucking Orihime Inoue.

Why would that make him irrationally angry? Why would that make him want to punch the other man? He had been fully set on going with that logo, but now? Now Ulquiorra didn’t want it. A deep sigh left him.

Orihime saw the look on his face. He hated it. He absolutely hated it. The tentative smile on her face fell and she tightened her lips up to keep them from giving away her disappointment. She slapped on the fakest eye-squinting smile she could. “Nice to finally, um, actually meet you, Mr. Cifer,” she managed, her voice not at all confident. She should just shut up. She should just crawl into a hole and die. She hoped the makeup she was wearing covered the absolute humiliation she was feeling at this moment.

“Out,” Ulquiorra stated and moved so that he wasn’t blocking the doorway.

Orihime’s eyes widened and she looked from Ulquiorra to Grimmjow. Was he talking to her?

Grimmjow looked at his friend with a scowl. “You want her to leave? She’s the designer,” he said.

“Yes, I want her to leave.”

Grimmjow’s gaze slid from Ulquiorra over to Orihime. He gave a slight nod and a tiny, tiny smile, trying to tell her it would be alright. 

She nodded back and gave Ulquiorra the same small nod she always did, with a shadow of the smile she usually gave him. Her chin wavered this time, though. After she cleared the door she made her way to the ladies room quickly and locked herself into a toilet stall, leaning against the door, trying desperately not to sob out loud as she used toilet paper to dab her eyes. She was a failure.

As soon as Ulquiorra closed the door he looked at Grimmjow. “You’re fucking her?” he snapped. He wasn’t sure where this irritation was coming from. 

“Does it matter? You’ve never cared about who I’ve hooked up with before,” Grimmjow answered.

“Tch. You could have told me that she was working on this. I could have made arrangements for this project to be transferred to some other agency or firm. Maybe Byakuya would have given it to someone more responsible!” Ulquiorra said.

Grimmjow’s face became confused. “What the hell is your issue? What the--Oh, I get it. Dude, I’ve been fucking her for a while. Probably within the first week of her starting here. Jealous? Is that it? You acted this way when I was fucking Sung-Sun and you were talking to her.”

There was another scoff. Ulquiorra turned his face away from Grimmjow, unwilling to let him see his expression. He knew his eyes would give everything away. He was _not_ jealous. There was something about Orihime Inoue that he didn’t like. That is what he told himself. “Shut up, Grimmjow.”

“Nah, you want to act all high and mighty and live a fucking commoner’s life. You don’t have to work. You don’t have to do shit. You’re sitting on--”

“I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

The room was silent after Ulquiorra yelled. Shit. He had never had an outburst like that.

“Heh,” Grimmjow said, a short chuckle leaving his mouth. “Really? I bet you’ve never said two words to her, have you? But I bet you’ve given her free coffee, right? You won’t talk to women but you think these little drinks you give them will make them swoon over you, huh?”

Ulquiorra straightened his spine. “I will inform Byakuya that I no longer require your services at this moment, and if I decide to pursue this idea again I will choose someone else.”

“Go ahead Ulquiorra. You’re just pissed off,” Grimmjow said. “What? Poor little orphan boy who spent time in prison has a tiny crush on a woman who wouldn’t think twice about him? Pathetic. She wouldn’t give you the time of day, you know. You’re not her type.”

The green-eyed man said nothing. His chin tipped slightly up. He turned on his heel and opened the glass door, slamming it behind him. Byakuya Kuchiki walked over to him while Ulquiorra waved him off. If he could have slammed the door to Rotten Brand Management’s entrance, he would have done so. 

As soon as he was back in his coffee shop, his hair was pulled back into a messy bun and he snapped at anyone who got in his way. He had to press down those feelings that were surfacing. 

***

Grimmjow knew he blew it. He knew he did. Ulquiorra was pissed off. Grimmjow pressed his buttons and now he was getting his ass ripped by his boss because he hadn’t closed the deal. He also blamed it on Grimm’s inappropriate behavior around the intern. 

“She’s my girlfriend,” he said.

It didn’t matter to Kuchiki. There was a time and a place for everything and fucking interns on every surface that Grimmjow had access to wasn’t appropriate. His behavior just caused them to lose a client. It didn’t matter if that client was a friend or not.

When he got back to his office, he texted Orihime.

\- You okay?

She blew her nose and read his message. Was she okay? No. Was it his fault? No. She sucked. She had no right to be designing logos for people’s businesses. He didn’t need to be burdened with her feelings. She was worthless anyway. 

\- Um, yeah, I’ll be okay. Are you? Did I get you in trouble?

Grimmjow shook his head as he paced his office. He wasn’t in trouble. She wasn’t in trouble. He sighed. He knew what it was. Grimmjow got jealous and territorial easily. It wasn’t Orihime’s fault that this happened.

\- I’m gonna cut out early. Wanna come with me? 

That sounded like the only logical thing to do.

\- Yes. I’ll meet you outside. I don’t want anyone to see me so I’ll go through the back stairwell. Can you grab my purse? It’s in your office.

Grimmjow saw her purse. He used the computer program that tracked the employees’ hours and clicked logout. He looked at her purse again. He knew he was right about Ulquiorra. The man had been pissy and acted the same way when Grimmjow told him he was fucking the last quiet woman.

Did his friend have a crush on Orihime?

He knew how the guy operated. He’d known him since their freshman year of high school. He’d seen it a handful of times. Ulquiorra had a strange thought process when it came to relationships and people.

\- Yeah, go to my car.

He grabbed the bag and kept his head down as he traversed the office floor. No one stopped him as he exited the building. As he went around the corner of the building, he saw Orihime standing beside his car. She looked like she had been crying. 

Dammit.

“Princess,” he said, coming up to her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “I got your purse.”

“Thank you,” she squeaked, letting her body sink into his and holding him tightly. She didn’t deserve him, but she wasn’t going to let him go if he wanted her.

“It’s okay. Ulq’s just got a hair up his ass today. He’ll come around,” Grimmjow said, rubbing her back. “He’s a private person and was probably shocked that you took time to sketch out his eyes like that.”

Orihime nodded into his chest. What Grimmjow said actually sounded believable. “I should have never used him as a model. I should have just drawn a sad coffee bean,” she said, still hiccuping a bit.

Grimmjow kissed the top of her head. “Do that next time. He’ll come back in,” he told her. “Now, I’m in the mood for waffles, do you like waffles? Wanna go get some breakfast for lunch with me? Afterwards we can go to your place or mine and cuddle for a bit,” he suggested.

“Yes, please.”

***

After eating they ended up at her place. Grimmjow kissed her slowly as soon as the door was closed. “You did great today, Hime. You acted professionally. If you’re going into this business, you’re going to have difficult clients, okay?”

She nodded and returned the kiss. “Thank you. I’m glad you were there today. I don’t think I would have been able to do it alone.”

Grimmjow cupped her jaw and tilted her face up to him. Again he kissed her slowly and tenderly, letting their lips brush together and linger. He guided her over to the bed and made her sit down before he stepped back. His dress shoes came off. He stuffed the black socks inside of them. His suit jacket came off and he draped this over Orihime’s desk chair. He looked at her as he unfastened the cuffs of his white and dove gray striped shirt, then started unbuttoning the front of it. She probably expected him to take it off but he didn’t, only untucked it from the trousers to his suit.

He knelt down in front of her and placed a kiss on each of her cloth covered knees. Then he looked up at her. “You’ve got this, if you want it.”

Her heart pounded. What was he talking about? “This?” she asked, putting her hands on his.

There was a flash of confusion that went through his brain. He wasn’t sure what she was talking about. He had been talking about the whole art career thing. It seemed like she was talking about something different. He gave a nod anyway. “Stand up so we can get these clothes off you,” he replied, standing and then pulling her to her feet.

Oh. Oh. Oh. She tried not to let her heart pound out of her chest as she stood. What did this mean? It seemed like this was official now. They were a couple. She smiled a breathtaking smile at him and pulled her sweater up and over her head.

Grimmjow finally stripped off the dress shirt and laid it over the suit jacket. He watched as she undressed, admiring how her hips wiggled as she lowered the pants she wore. When she stood in front of him naked he said, “Sit on the edge of the bed. I’m going to do something to you that I only do to people who deserve it. I think you deserve it.”

Curiosity piqued, she did as he said, sitting on the very edge of the bed, balancing most of her weight on the balls of her feet. “Like this?” she asked, looking up at him innocently.

He gave a nod and nudged her thighs apart more as he knelt between them, placing small kisses on her stomach and cupping her tits. He rubbed his face all over her breasts and his tongue lapped at her nipples, bringing them to peaks. “Lay back if you want, and bring your knees up,” he murmured, trailing a hand down her torso.

She did lie back, and she brought her heels to the edge of the bed, grasping her knees to take some stress off of her back. She watched him carefully. She had no idea what she was in for.

He kissed her thighs before he looked at what he was presented with. It was a pretty, pretty picture. His thumbs pressed on either side of her slit and he moved them in a slow circle. As the deep pink skin revealed itself, he adjusted himself so that he was closer to her and his goal. Grimmjow bit his lip as his fingers slid down that slick skin. He teased her opening, dipping his fingers into her core with shallow movements. He kept glancing at her to see if he could gauge her reaction.

She gasped softly when his fingers sank into her, her feet rising off the edge of the bed as she pulled on her knees with one hand, the other one sinking into the flesh of her own tit as she hummed. She had closed her eyes. From her vantage point, and with her breasts in the way, she couldn’t see much of what was going on, anyway.

Well that was something, he thought. As his face moved closer to her body, Grimmjow used his fingers to explore her deeper. When he was far enough in, he swiped his tongue up her slit, letting the flavor of her body seep into his mouth. He did this several times as he moved his fingers in and out of her.

Her throat constricted and a tight, high-pitched sound came out of her nose. Her core clenched around his fingers at the first contact of his tongue. This was new. Uryu had never done this. She was having a hard time dealing with it. She didn’t know what do to with herself. Her legs shook and her ass squeezed. This intensity was delicious, but agonizing. “Grimm,” she cried desperately.

He hummed against her flesh, mouth and tongue working her clit. He only lifted his mouth to ask, “What is it Orihime?” before he pressed his mouth back to her. He was enjoying doing this, when he normally didn’t like it. It seemed like Orihime was having a life changing experience.

“Oh god,” was all she could say. “Oh, god,” she repeated, this time more obviously in the throes of near-bliss. Despite her passion, her voice remained velvety soft and still sweet. There was never anything vulgar or aggressive about her like this. The unassuming, sweet, flighty persona she showed everyone everyday was really who she was, through and through. Her actions now, at his mercy, and feeling like her blood was on fire, only drove that point home.

His fingers curled slightly inside of her and he sped up both the movements of his tongue and hand. It seemed like she needed this today, instead of just being pounded into multiple orgasms. 

It was like a locomotive barreling down on her. Her breath hitched once, and again, and soon she was gasping for breath and bearing down on a mind-shattering orgasm, her core attempting to suck his fingers dry and her voice rasping noisy, desperate inhalations. Her legs trembled as she fell apart in his mouth, and when she couldn’t take it anymore she cried, “Grimm! Grimm, please!”

The blue-haired man didn’t stop then, not until her legs closed around his head like a vice. It was only then that he pulled back and grinned, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Heh, what’s wrong?”

She mumbled something unintelligible, ending it with a long, soft whine. “I-- I--” she took a few more steadying breaths. “I’m dead.”

His smirk got bigger as he stood up and quickly undid the belt around his waist and trousers. Grimmjow kept the white, trunk style boxer briefs on as he let his pants fall to the floor before he picked those up and laid them on top the rest of his clothing on her desk chair. “Scoot, I wanna lay down.”

It was on her mind to protest that she wanted to return the favor, but she knew she would suck at it right now, no pun intended. She gingerly lowered her legs down and rolled around until there was enough space for him.

“You act like you’ve never had someone’s face buried in you,” he murmured, pulling her close to him.

She buried her nose into his chest and breathed deeply. He smelled like comfort and strength to her. And clean sheets. “I haven’t,” she said, wrapping an arm around his middle and throwing a leg over his.

Fuck. Well he was just racking up all kinds of firsts from her. “You’re welcome, I guess. I hope the first time was everything you expected it to be,” he laughed.

“Uh… yeah. Thank you, for that,” she said, giggling a bit. “You keep surprising me in a lot of good ways,” she murmured, a finger trailing down from the hollow of his throat to his heart, where she flattened her palm out to feel the beats.

Shit. Grimmjow frowned at her hand and then looked at the ceiling. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This was supposed to be fun, but he could feel himself at the start of catching feelings for this redheaded woman. 

The last time he felt like this, Nnoitra fucked everything up. Grimmjow couldn’t look at Nel without acting like a prick. Nah, Orihime wasn’t like that. She was a good girl with a level head on her shoulders. Sure, she lived in la-la land, in her own bubble, but it made her happy. She barely spoke to anyone when they went out. He noticed her ways.

In a huge group, she seemed to just blend in. She only stood out when she was on her own. “Hime? Are you okay now?”

“I’m better than okay; I’m with you,” she said and kissed his chest. “Are you still okay?”

Dammit. Yeah. He was definitely standing with a net trying to catch all the feelings for her. “I’ve been okay. Let’s get a nap and we can do something.”

***

She woke up first. She silently padded to the restroom and took care of business and cleaned herself off. She went back to the other room and slipped into a cheap silk robe that she had hanging on a hook and looked at the person she was now considering her boyfriend. He looked so peaceful lying there. She wanted to capture it.

As silently as she could, she pulled a wooden stool to the side of the bed, a few feet away. She took out a sketch pad and a pencil and began to sketch him. She got the outline of his face on the pillow with his arm curled under it. She got the lines of the muscles in his back as he lay on his stomach, the covers low on his hips. She got the way one of his knees jutted out to the side. Then she started on his features. She felt warm, relaxed, and comfortable. She didn’t notice when he woke up.

“Take a picture, it might remain in this position longer than I can,” he murmured, his blue eyes opening and staring at her.

“Oh!” she peeped, smiling at him. She sighed and relaxed her posture again, giving him a mildly scolding shake of her head, but saying nothing.

She didn’t want to say anything. Just beyond that warm expression lay a cold feeling pulling at her chest from behind her. Why did she feel guilty? Oh. Right. Coffee shop guy. The one who hated her guts. He told her to take a picture on more than one occasion.

And, as if to add insult to injury, as she closed her sketchpad, a loose piece of paper with a sketch of the dark-haired baristo himself fell out. “Jesus,” she muttered under her breath, picking up the sketch and tossing it onto the desk beside her a bit carelessly. Ulquiorra Cifer had done his best to ruin her day. Grimmjow had fixed it for her. She wouldn’t let his efforts go to waste. She stretched. “Did you have a nice rest?”

He had seen the sketch. Grimmjow rolled over onto his back and stared at Orihime for a moment. “You two have a thing or something?” he asked.

“Who two?” she asked, smiling and tilting her head in confusion.

“You and Ulquiorra,” he said. Grimmjow pushed himself up and gazed at Orihime with a neutral expression. “He acted like I stole you away from him or something.”

Orihime pulled her head back a bit and frowned in confusion. “Why would he act like that? He basically treats me like a disease. I’m pretty sure he hates me. Usually.” She opened the sketchpad again and showed him what she had just been working on. “I had sketched him because I wanted to use his face in the logo design. Most people are vain,” she said as if that explained everything.

“Hmmm, I look damn good,” Grimmjow smiled. “No one knows Ulquiorra owns the place. He’s a normal worker; the morning manager. It’s probably why he wigged out. I think when he comes back, you should do either a sad coffee bean or a sad coffee cup.”

“That’s what I was going for!” she said in enthusiastic solidarity. “I thought that he _was_ coffee and sadness. I sat there and looked at a plain white empty paper cup and thought, yeah, this cup is the guy. The guy is the cup. It’s sad. It’s coffee. It’s eyebrows and teal ties,” she said, laughing at the absurdity.

Grimmjow smirked at that. “I just wanted to know if you two had something and I didn’t know about it. I’d want to know things, like who is better and all that shit. I’m competitive. I need to win.”

“Well, there’s no competition when only one person is playing, so you can relax, alright?” she said in a fond voice before putting the pad down and going to sit next to him. She put her hand on his and threaded her fingers between his. “I could get used to this, you know,” she murmured.

“It’s nice,” he replied. It was nice. Grimmjow shook his head at himself. “It’s something we can ease into.”

***

Ulquiorra sat at the bar of Starrk’s and stared at the glass in front of him. Five whiskeys had gone down and now he was nursing number six. Huff. Six. Fucking Grimmjow’s favorite number for some fucking reason. Dumbass. He’d always been a dumbass.

If Ulquiorra was interested in someone, Grimmjow took over and seduced her. It just happened. Usually when there was a relationship established, that was when Nnoitra fucked Grimmjow over. Would it happen this time?

Who knew.

“Ulq, want another or you good?”

“Absinthe,” he said.

Nnoitra looked at the green-eyed man and raised his eyebrow, staring at him from his good eye. “You’re gonna man up and get absinthe?”

“Yeah, give me a fucking cocktail.”

Nnoitra looked at Starrk who just shrugged. 

Ulquiorra saw it. “I’m a grown man. I think I can handle it. The limit is what? Three?”

The tallest man nodded. “Okay, one absinthe cocktail coming up.”

The green-eyed man watched with a stern expression as Nnoitra poured water over the sugarcube with the slotted spoon. It was not something he usually paid attention to, how his friend mixed the drinks that he made. Not that Starrk’s had much of a menu, and their food selection was usually smaller than the booze. The green drink was placed in front of him. 

He stared at it.

“What’s going on with you Ulq? You never drink this much,” Nnoitra asked. 

“Grimmjow. Grimmjow and his cocky attitude, his stupid ability to charm anyone out of their fucking underwear, his dumbass blue fucking hair...” Ulquiorra grabbed the drink and drained the glass dry. Wow. That was like several punches to the face. 

“You’re supposed to sip it, idiot,” Nnoitra said. “Another?”

“Give me a minute,” Ulquiorra replied, laying his head on the bar. “There was an intern over at RBM and she kept looking at me. I gave her coffee.”

“Did ya fuck her or something? I’m not following you man.”

“Nope. Grimmjow is. She’s got red hair and these eyes that I think could find out all my secrets. She’s got this--and that smile… She’s quiet, not like those loud ass pumpkin spice ordering dumbasses,” Ulquiorra muttered. He lifted his head and looked at his other friend that knew him all the way since freshman year of high school. “I could have gotten the--I could have talked to her. No, Grimmjow has to stick his dick in everything then brag about it like he’s the only one who knows how to fuck. I know how to fuck. I’ve got the bitches that I have dicked coming back and begging me to do it again. He can go fuck himself.”

Nnoitra blinked several times before he grabbed the glass that Ulquiorra’s cocktail had been in. A pale hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. “Give me another,” Ulquiorra said.

“You sure?”

“I’ll tip you a hundred fucking dollars, just get me another one!”

When Starrk had to call Rangiku, after Ulquiorra fell off the barstool after his third green cocktail, Nnoitra stood back and watched the man. It wasn’t like Ulquiorra to lose control of himself. He had a crush on some stupid office slut. Big deal. The bigger deal was the news Ulquiorra told him. So, Grimmjow had a woman. It explained why he wasn’t coming in after work. The man used to be like clockwork. In the bar at seven o’clock, have a glass or two, bitch about people, maybe pick up some young woman who was dumb enough to come through the door, and then leave. 

He decided to text Grimmjow.

\- Ulquiorra tells me that congratulations are in order. Is it that redhead you bought the 75 for? Ya should come in and visit.

Yeah, Nnoitra knew he was stirring the shitpot, but he was bored with Nel, and Tier pretty much kept him from preying on anyone who had a just-turned-twenty-one look and tits. 

***

Grimmjow looked at the text as he lay next to Orihime in her bed. Nah, he knew what Nnoitra was up to. He was trying to get the lay of the land. And Ulquiorra saying congratulations? Pfffft. That was a load of horseshit. He texted the guy back.

\- Maybe. Work hectic. TTYL.

***

Hangover of the century? Check.

Feeling like death? Sure.

Listening to the damn bottled blonde hens clucking like mindless, idiotic animals? Absolutely. 

It was a week after his foray into Starrk’s and he had purchased a bottle of absinthe for his apartment. The stuff was good, and he was feeling stressed out last night for some reason, so he knocked back three of them. His head was pounding this morning. He stood at the register and sighed as he took some babywearing mom’s order for a large hazelnut/eggnog coffee with heavy cream. This woman wanted it almost the color of a latte.

This bitch was a Karen or Sue or whoever the woman was that ordered foamed milk from RBM. He tried to ignore the building across the street. He tried to ignore the flash of copper and blue hair that he saw going out of the building when it hit six. 

Funny… That same copper color was headed in the front door of Coffee & Sadness.

Oh. Oh. _OH_.


	6. Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

“Orihime. I want my non-coffee latte. I want it from that place across the street, not the shit-inducing crap factory you’ve been going to all week.” That was from Karen. She was classy.

“While you’re at it, can I get a chai latte without any milk?” It wasn’t really a request from Susan, and it wasn’t really a real drink order. She wanted fucking tea. TEA.  _ IT’S NOT A LATTE WITHOUT MILK, SUSAN! _

Orihime sighed and smiled. “Certainly.”

By the time she left the building, she had six different people’s orders, including Grimmjow’s. They were excited that she was going back to C&S. Well, Grimmjow wasn’t super excited, but she understood why, or so she thought. The owner had treated her like crap last week.

But she was a big girl. She’d faced rejection before. She knew how to get over it, no matter how bitter and painful the initial sting was. So, when she walked through the glass doors of Coffee & Sadness and caught the owner’s eye, she smiled at him. She nodded and smiled at him again as their gazes crossed while she was waiting in line. It wasn’t like she was searching him out or anything, she just like observing things.

Of course. Just his luck. He felt like hell, and probably looked like hell, and she was back. The reprieve had been nice. When she got to the counter, Ulquiorra stared at Orihime. “Yeah?”

Okay, so he was still unhappy with her and her work. Oh well, can’t please everyone. “I’m back,” she said like the guy from _The Shining_ , except in her soft, dulcet timbre. “Karen and Susan are back at it. We need a scalded milk and a chai latte with no milk, a black coffee with two sugars, a cappuccino, a rose tea, a latte with an extra shot of espresso and bourbon flavor, an iced coffee, and…” she paused as she looked up from her list and into his eyes. “Caramel apple latte for me, please.”

He hadn’t even begun to tap the order into the screen. He couldn’t wrap his head around the first two cups. “I wonder if Karen or Susan sit at home, knitting and drinking their hot milk at night,” he replied. Ulquiorra pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “A scalded milk. A chai tea. Black coffee two sugars. Cappuccino. Rose tea. Latte with an extra shot of espresso and bourbon, aka fuckface’s order. Iced coffee. Caramel apple latte. Right?”

She laughed at his commentary. She even laughed about the thing he said about Grimmjow. Her boyfriend described his friend as scathing, and this fell in line with what she had been told to expect. “That’s right,” she said, giving him soft eyes. Then she muttered quietly, “Karen and Susan have their tin foil hats and their Fox Mulder figurines with them while they knit and try to unravel the coffee ordering conspiracies that flummox the rest of us.”

Just the side of his mouth came up and Ulquiorra gave her the total. The RBM coffee credit card was swiped, and he handed it back as soon as the stickers started printing. The easiest orders were done first, and even though he knew Grimmjow wanted his drink in a large cup, Ulquiorra put it in a medium cup. He did, however, give Orihime a large caramel apple latte. When he had the drinks in two carriers, he brought them over to her and set them down on the counter. “Heads up, next month it’s peanut butter or maple but if you want the caramel apple latte, just let me know,” Ulquiorra commented before he went back to the register.

Orihime stood there for a moment, watching him. She realized she missed him. That was weird. Why would she miss the guy who tore her heart out of her chest and stomped on it? Well, he  _ was _ funny. There was no one in line at the register, so she decided to go over there again.

“Hey,” she said, not much louder than a whisper.

He glanced at her. “Did I get something wrong? I’m a bit hungover, but I’m sure I got it all right. Tell Karen and Susan to kiss my ass though,” he stated.

Orihime laughed. “I’m sure if they ever brought their too-good-for-errands asses in here themselves and took a look at you, they’d love to,” she laughed at herself then. “Actually, I just wanted to apologize. I realize I should have asked before sketching you and plopping your face onto promotional material. It was unprofessional. Rookie mistake. Sorry I made you waste your time,” she said, looking down at the countertop and blushing before rapping it once with her knuckles and looking back at him with a red face and only slightly pinched eyes.

She was apologizing although he’d been a dick? Where was the woman who wouldn’t give him the time of day? Why was she doing this? Was it just to torture him more and remind him what a pathetic loser he was? “What other ideas did you have for a logo?” He asked.

No. No. That’s not what he wanted to say. He meant to tell her that it had been rude of her to do that. So he tried again. “Also I don’t do old or crazy women,” he said a moment later.

Her head tilted to the side and that pinched expression in her eyes evaporated as she smiled at him fondly. “You and me both, mister,” she said and laughed. “Well, the only other ideas were a sad coffee bean or a sad cup, but I kind of got stuck on your eyes and put all my eggs in that basket. Looks like when I aim wrong, I commit and really go for it.”

“Why my eyes? They’re just… eyes...”

“Correction, they are coffee and sadness eyes,” she said playfully, tipping her head a bit towards him.

“There’s this blog I follow that has the same name as the shop. They would disagree with you on that. They think they have the market cornered on what is coffee and sadness. I’ve offered to buy it from them and I always get the same reply. So, maybe you should find the person who owns coffeeandsadness.com and draw their eyes,” Ulquiorra said, his face smoothing out into his passive expression that he wore most of the time when dealing with people.

She covered her eyes with a hand for a moment and nodded, grinning foolishly while he spoke. “I happen to have drawn her eyes. They’re not that special, to be honest,” she said, trying not to laugh or squeal. This was a bit too uncanny. “I’ll let her know that she should keep her damn trap shut, though. Thanks for the tip about… About the caramel apple…” She looked back at his face. What the hell was she doing, rambling on like this? She started walking sideways toward where she had left her order, very slowly.

“It’s a woman? Can you tell her I want her instagram name too? Also… Peanut butter hot chocolate… It’s going to be a big hit,” Ulquiorra said as he watched her.

She nodded with a wide, closed mouth smile. The apples of her cheeks glowed red and stretched under the pressure. “I’ll tell her. Also, I’ll be back for that hot chocolate.”

“I’m only giving you free coffee twice a week.”

***

9.30.19

**Evanston, IL, Coffee & Sadness: Flavor of the Month Sneak Peak**

_ I heard a rumor that there might be maple and/or peanut butter on special at C&S starting in October. Start lining up now. I know I will be. _

_ On an unrelated note, October brings thoughts of earlier sunsets, colder weather, and Halloween. Someone cheeky I know suggested a pregnant nun costume. I’m not sure about that. I’m more of a Frankenstein’s bride or derpy pumpkin girl, myself. _

_ Today’s inspiration was sitting on my windowsill. I’m sure he likes his coffee with cinnamon and a touch of sadness, too. _

_ Today’s playlist: There is a Light that Never Goes Out - The Smiths. Just Life Heaven - The Cure. Here Comes the Rain Again - The Eurythmics. _

There. Last blog post of the month was up. She had done a cute sketch of a chubby sparrow on her windowsill with a scarf on and a tiny cup of steaming coffee in front of it. It was fanciful and lighthearted, but she had managed to stuff a pinch of sadness into its mostly angry-looking beady little eyes.

She wasn’t worried about the pregnant nun comment. She was sure he wouldn’t remember his off the cuff remark. She wore her favorite jeans and a soft, oatmeal-colored sweater and made her way to school, stopping for coffee on the way.

She opened the door and got into line quietly, rubbing her arms. It was windy today. Cold. She should have worn a jacket, too. Oh well.

Ulquiorra was in the office and looking at the blogpost. Rangiku was standing there beside him. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

“What now?”

“Nothing. I’m going to recycle a playlist. This is--Urgh. I probably look so fucking stupid,” he said before picking one of the saved lists on the laptop. He came out of the office to help out around the counter and saw Orihime.

She was the one behind coffeeandsadness.com. She had to be. He had only made the pregnant nun comment to her. It wasn’t like he talked to all of his customers. He took their orders and that was it. There were seven pumpkin spice lattes to make before Ulquiorra moved Jack to making orders and Orihime got to the register. He looked at her when she stepped up. “Morning,” he muttered. 

It didn’t matter if she was behind it. She told him she wouldn’t sell it to him. He didn’t need to be friendly with her either. She was Grimmjow’s woman or whatever.

“Hi,” she said, only slightly guarded at his coldness. “Um, medium coffee, please. Black.”

Ulquiorra looked at her and nodded, trying to keep his eyes on her face, but they kept glancing at her cleavage and collarbones. “Two dollars,” he replied. She handed over the money and he turned around to grab a cup and filled it up. He took it to the other end of the counter so that he could put a lid on the cup. 

The pumpkin spice lattes were gone, so he waited for Orihime.

She watched him for a moment. Usually he would give her her order at the register. After a couple of seconds she followed him to the pick-up spot and stood against it. 

“You, uh, you look nice today,” he said as he slid the coffee across the counter.

The guarded look on her face disappeared, replaced by a pink glow and apply cheeks, and a slightly shy expression. “Oh, um, thanks,” she said, with a puff of air at the end. “Um, so do you.”

He gave a weak laugh. “I look how I normally do, without the hangover this time,” Ulquiorra replied. He wanted to confront her about the blog but he found himself losing courage. “Enjoy.”

She made eye contact with him and kind of fell into it, going to that dreamy, contemplative place she was prone to visit without warning. Her head slowly went to the side, and she found herself smiling at him. “I do,” she murmured after a moment.

“You do?”

She blinked, her eyes widening before she looked down at the cup in her hands. “I enjoy it,” she said, then shook her head a bit. “I’ll see you, Ulquiorra,” she said, taking a step back from the counter. Her face was red again. What was she even thinking about? What kind of weirdo talks about how they enjoy their coffee-buying ritual?

Ulquiorra watched her go a frown on his face. He couldn’t believe he just flirted with Grimmjow’s girlfriend. What would possess him to do such a thing? Maybe this was karma coming back to Grimmjow. Maybe Ulquiorra could be like Batman and be a playboy. 

He wouldn’t. Yeah, he had money. He wasn’t flashy with it. He didn’t have cars out the ass or multiple houses. He had his business and that was it. Sure, he invested in Starrk’s business, but that was to help a friend, Ulquiorra didn’t expect any turn around from that, though. 

He also wasn’t one to entertain multiple people. He barely entertained one person for longer than twenty-four hours.

Ulquiorra told Rangiku to take over for him. He’d be back.

***

Grimmjow looked at Ulquiorra, his lips set in a thin line. “You want to her to design two more logos even though you hated the first one?”

“Grimmjow, you’ve known me for years. I felt… threatened. If she could sketch my eyes and put that much detail into them, then I was not guarding myself like I should. No one needs to know how vulnerable I can be,” Ulquiorra replied.

“I’ll put Julie on it,” Grimmjow said and began typing something up. He didn’t know what was up with Ulquiorra, but something seemed off. Why else would he come into Rotten and ask for an audience with him?

“I want Orihime.”

The blue-haired man’s back stiffened. His eyes narrowed. He turned his head slightly to look at the other man. “What? What did you just say?”

“I want Orihime… To work on the design,” Ulquiorra said, in a careful way.

“Ah, I thought...”

“I don’t stick my dick in people you and Nnoitra have already fucked. I made that promise to myself a long time ago,” came the reply.

Grimmjow visibly relaxed at that. There was nothing threatening his relationship with the redhead. “I’ll offer it to her, but if she refuses the job, I’ll put someone else on it.”

The dark-haired man nodded before he left and Grimmjow leaned back, wondering what was going through Ulquiorra’s mind. It didn’t matter, Orihime wouldn’t take the job. She still seemed wounded about his rejection of her first design. He decided to text her anyway.

\- Morning gorgeous. Cifer just came over and asked if you’d design him two more logos. Up for it? If not I can hand it off to someone else. LMK.

Orihime took a break between classes and checked her messages. A huge grin came over her face when she saw who it was from. The grin subsided into something more curious when she read the message.

\- Wow, that’s a surprise. I’m up for it. I’d like the chance to redeem myself. Good morning to you too, handsome. <3

His eyebrow rose as he read her words. Her little emojis were cute. He gave a chuckle before replying. 

\- Are you sure? You don’t need to subject yourself to Ulq. Nothing says you have to do this. I don’t want him tearing you down again. I missed you last night. You working today?

Swoon. Gack. Swoon. She could barely contain the squeal that wanted to come out. 

\- I miss you too. I have one more class, then I’ll be there. Thanks for worrying about me. <3 I’d rather replace that feeling of failure with one of success, if it’s possible, though.

The smirk on his face grew wider.

\- Come straight to my office. I have something I wanna reprimand you for ;) 

She laughed.

\- Ninety minutes. I’ll be there.

***

Ninety minutes later, she was at his office door, knocking on the frame as always. “Mr. Jaegerjaquez? You wanted to see me?”

Grimmjow had been busy in that time from her last text until now. He told Mr. Kuchiki about Ulquiorra wanting another design. The man said that was good, but there was a slight threat that if Grimmjow didn’t deliver there would be dire consequences. He wrote another work order for the request and sent it to Orihime’s company email. 

If she was going to do this, might as well make it legit.

“Come in, Inoue. Close the door,” he said, pushing himself back from the desk. He remained sitting there as she did as he said.

After she closed the door, she walked to the side of his desk and smiled at him. “So, am I in trouble?” she asked, referencing his text from earlier.

“Maybe. Come here,” he said pulling her so that she was in his lap. Grimmjow buried his face in her neck, breathing against her ear. His hands came up to trail between her breasts. “You look good today. I like this.”

She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, I hoped you’d like it,” she said. She wrapped her arms around his neck. She wanted to crawl under his skin. She wanted to always be with him. 

Shit. She wanted to tell him she loved him. Her heart ached a bit and her arms tightened. She would never be the one to say it first, though. 

Grimmjow let his head dip down to place a small kiss on her collarbone and then another at the start of her cleavage. “Classes tomorrow?” he asked when he straightened his head.

She couldn’t stop herself. She kissed him on the mouth, closing her eyes and pushing into it, breathing his breath into her lungs. One of her hands found his face and she nestled his jaw into it and kissed him again, before answering, “Just one, but I could blow it off for you.”

“Now, now, Princess. Just because it’s your senior year doesn’t mean you can fuck off. You need to graduate,” Grimmjow purred. 

“I know, but…” she whined softly, running her fingers through his hair. “Why did you ask?”

He chuckled. “Maybe I wanna spend the night with you,” he replied. Grimmjow’s hand went to the bottom of her sweater, slipping underneath and touching her stomach with teasing fingers. “Or have you in my bed again.”

“Good,” she purred. “I want to go home with you,” she said. It made her feel a lot more secure in herself and in their relationship because he said things to her like this. It made her feel like she didn’t have to worry about any of the insignificant details in life.

“I want you to go over to Ulq’s shop and sit down and talk with him about what he wants. You need to interact with the client and find out what they envision. I should have had you do that before you started before. This time we’re going to do it right,” Grimmjow said as he held her.

She nodded. “I apologized to him already. Hopefully that will smooth the waters a bit,” she said, resolving to herself that this was a good idea.

He hummed. “You should wear a skirt. It gives me better access.” Grimmjow was hoping to seduce her. A blowjob sounded great right now.

“It’s getting chilly for skirts,” Orihime replied. “Besides, I thought you were a visual guy. You don’t get much more visual than these jeans,” she said, standing up off his lap and turning around. Her jeans were almost painted on, and she lifted the bottom of her wrap sweater up to show him all the way to the bare skin on her waist.

He let out a sharp growl. “I can’t fuck you while everyone is here, Orihime. You know this, but damn.” His palms slid down her ribcage and her waist to her hips. “Damn. Damn. Damn.”

She loved this. She loved teasing him and making him want her. He never disappointed her with his reactions, either. “What is it, Baby? You need some help with something?” she asked, bending over slightly and letting her ass sway a bit.

There was a crack as Grimmjow brought his hand down on her ass. “I might take an hour lunch just to satisfy my need,” he said in a lust-filled voice. “I really want to see you suck my cock though.”

“Right now?” 

“Door is closed, blinds are shut,” he smirked. “You’ve done this before.”

She turned and smirked at him. She said nothing as she got to her knees and crawled under his desk. She did everything. She unzipped him. She got him out. She sucked him off. She swallowed. She made sure he was clean and put him back and wiped her lips off with the back of her hand. “Feeling better now?” she asked when she was done, looking up at him with a sweet smile from between his legs.

Grimmjow’s knuckles were white as he had been gripping the arms of his office chair with a death grip, trying to keep quiet. He eventually relaxed his hold and leaned down to kiss her. “For now,” he replied, helping her to her feet. “You make me a happy man, Inoue. Go get some work done. I’ll set it up for Ulq to meet you tomorrow.”

She took a deep breath in through her nose, glowing at his praise. “I’m really glad,” she said as soft as velvet. “I love... I love making you happy,” she said before exiting his office.

There were some nasty glares thrown Orihime’s way. He saw them as he stood at the door and watched her. Grimmjow knew the women in the office were jealous of Orihime. Oh well. They were dumb bitches. He went back to his desk and texted Ulquiorra. The text he got back from the man made him frown.

He had plans for Orihime tomorrow night. Dammit. He gave her the news.

\- Ulq says he’ll meet you around six pm. Has to work until then.

Orihime didn’t see this as a problem. The meeting couldn’t last that long. The man could barely tolerate her presence on most days.

\- Okay. That works for me. At his shop? I can just walk over to your place afterward.

Grimmjow sighed. Ulq was constantly cockblocking him.

\- Yeah. Let me know when you’re done. We’ll have dinner. 

***

Ulquiorra let Kira know what was going on as the clock approached six the next night. Izuru just nodded his head and went about his duties. The green eyed man stood by the counter and waited for Orihime. He was nervous for some reason.

Why had he told Grimmjow that he wanted Orihime? He was purposely baiting the other man into a fight, he knew that much. He looked at his fingernails and noticed a chip in the black polish he wore. Dammit. He’d have to fix them or go to the place where he got them done. He knew he had an aura of mystery surrounding him. The tattoos; the nails; the hairstyle, along with how pale he was just screamed he was an oddball. He just wanted people to leave him alone.

He was fine with the few friends he had. He was fine with the few sexual encounters he had. Why was he letting a ginger airhead into his space? What made her so special? 

He glanced at his watch and sighed. She was five minutes late.

***

She had gotten held up at the office by Susan. “Orihime, would you take my drycleaning?”

Another, younger, cattier woman chimed in. “While you’re at it, you may as well take your cheap clothes to the incinerator. Seriously, Orihime. We all know you’re with Grimmjow. You should let him buy you some nicer things.”

Orihime was horrified. She had never done anything to these women to deserve this treatment. She always took their ridiculous orders for coffee or errands without complaint. She took Susan’s dry cleaning and left the office without another word. She walked it down the block to the dry cleaners and then had to run to Coffee & Sadness. Shit. She was late. 

She dabbed her eyes before she opened the door. She saw Ulquiorra immediately and let her head drop in an apology before she was in speaking range. Once she was close enough she spoke, her voice unsteady. “I’m really sorry. I got held up at the office. Susan must have her dry cleaning done.” She pressed her lips together in a line and pushed her hair out of her face. “I’m sorry to make you wait.”

“No worries,” Ulquiorra said, with his arms folded across his chest. “Follow me.” 

He turned and walked towards a door that never seemed to open at the end of the small hallway that led to the bathrooms. It wasn’t opened by a key. Ulquiorra had to swipe a card to open the door. He was the only one who held this card. He let Orihime into the dimly lit hallway beyond the coffee shop before he turned and went to the staircase on the left side of the room. There was a glass door at the other end that showed the street. “Can’t Susan drop off her own dry cleaning?”

“Facebook wizards are much too busy and important to run their own clothes to the dry cleaners,” she said.

“Are you an intern or are you an office assistant? If you’re an intern, Grimmjow wouldn’t let you do trivial jobs like that,” Ulquiorra said. They reached the second floor and he turned to go up a flight of stairs that would take them to the third floor. There were two doors labeled A and B on the landing.

“I’m an intern. But I’m the lowest man on the totem pole, so anyone can tell me what to do,” she answered, taking a breath mid-phrase to keep herself from getting breathless with the stairs.

“Tired already?” he asked with a trace of amusement. “Fifteen foot ceilings make for a lot of stairs.”

She scoffed gently. “I’m not tired; just pacing myself.”

He went up and down these stairs every day. It was nothing for him. “You’d think being with Grimmjow, you’d be in better shape,” he muttered, before starting up the next set.

What was that supposed to mean? “So he told you about me?”

“I’m assuming that you’re his girlfriend. He said as much in his office,” Ulquiorra replied in a flat tone.

She didn’t say anything about that, but smiled. It didn’t last long, though. Something about the way that Ulquiorra said it made her feel like he thought it was a bad thing. “So how long have you known each other?” she asked.

Ulquiorra stopped and looked back at Orihime. “Since freshman year of high school,” he said. “Why?”

She shrugged. “Just curious. He talks about you like he’s known you for a long time,” she said. She wasn’t sure where this conversation was going or if she should be having it, being a client meeting and all that. “So what’s up here? Your office?”

“My apartment.”

“Oh. Wow,” she said, brows raised.

“I am unable to concentrate on serious business when on the shop floor. This is a matter that requires my utmost attention. Plus Izuru plays shit music when he’s managing things,” Ulquiorra said. “My apartment is quiet.”

“I like quiet,” she said with a small smile.

When they reached the top floor, Ulquiorra unlocked the door and let Orihime inside. He did as he normally did and removed the vest and tie, throwing them into the basket as he passed by the opening of his room. He escorted the young woman to the kitchen and motioned for her to sit at the island. “I’ll be a moment.”

“Okay,” she said, taking a seat. Her eyes followed him around until she couldn’t see him anymore. She then looked around. This place wasn’t extravagant, but it was nice. Everything in it seemed high quality. It had a nice aesthetic. It seemed refined. It seemed down to earth. It was a lot of opposing things, she thought, much like him. 

Ulquiorra watched her from where he stood in his bedroom. He studied her as she took in the space. He never brought anyone up here. Grimmjow and Starrk had been here a couple of times. Nnoitra once. Aizen dropped by every once in a while. 

Never had a female stepped foot in here.

When he got laid, he always went to a hotel, leaving immediately afterwards. 

He went through the ritual of taking off his work shirt and moved back into Orihime’s vision, if she chose to look at him, before stripping the fabric from his shoulders, shifting the muscles under his skin as his movements dictated. He stood there for several seconds before flinging it across the room towards the basket. Then he stood there for a moment as if he wasn’t bothered by anything.

Of course her eyes snapped to his form as soon as he came into view. She watched him carefully as he moved, analyzing his form and actions with an educated eye. Her head tilted to the side, and although she had no pencils or paper at the moment, her hand twitched to sketch what she saw. All of her activity stopped when he turned toward her, shirtless, giving her a long, unobstructed view of his tattooed upper body. She could only stare. She couldn’t take her eyes away.

As he turned his head, Ulquiorra saw her looking. The corner of his mouth turned up slightly before he knelt down to remove his shoes. It was then he glanced up and caught her eye. Did he look hungry? Kind of. Did he have the hint of desire or lust in his gaze? Yes. He’d let her stew on that for a moment. He walked out of sight again. His dresser drawers opened and shut and he finally emerged from the room wearing dark jeans and a dark blue t-shirt.

Orihime found herself at a loss for words. Her face was hot. He was hot. Holy shit. She had thoughts like this before, but it had always been in a very detached way. Even now as he came back out clothed, wearing an outfit more casual than she had ever seen him in, she knew what was under that cotton. Her eyes kept drifting to the neck of his shirt. She kept imagining it wasn’t there.

“Sorry, I’m not used to having visitors,” he said as he walked around the island. Ulquiorra automatically walked over to the professional grade espresso machine and started making himself a cup. “Did you want something to drink? I can let you try the hot chocolate. I can make dark, milk, white… Or even that peanut butter hot chocolate.”

She opened her mouth to speak but had to clear her throat first. “If you’re making some, I’d love to try it,” she squeaked. Wow. Super chill, Hime. Oh well. 

As he had his back to her, he grinned. She was easily flustered. Ulquiorra brewed the coffee and then got down two mugs from the shelves above the counter. He added a spoonful of the concentrated liquid before he got some heavy cream out of the refrigerator, measuring it out. He got the peanut butter and chocolate chips out. He melted everything together then added some milk to the mixture before pouring it into the cups. “Whipped cream?” he asked.

“Whatever you recommend,” she said, her mouth watering. It smelled amazing in there.

Ulquiorra turned his head and looked at her before going to the refrigerator again and grabbing a can of peanut butter whipped stuff he had found in a store. “The secret to amazing hot chocolate,” he said as he set the can on the island before bringing over the mugs, “is whipped cream. This stuff is whipped topping but it doesn’t matter. It’s peanut butter flavored. I’m still experimenting with the recipe.”

She picked up the cold cylinder and examined it for a moment before setting it back down and looking at Ulquiorra. “And here I thought the secret to amazing hot chocolate was love. That’s what all those powdered mix commercials used to say,” she joked, trying to de-escalate the tension she was feeling in her body. She felt like he was hypnotizing her.

An uncharacteristic snort left him. “I never serve powdered hot chocolate in my cafe. It’s all made by hand. I like taking my time and doing my best to satisfy my customers.” 

“I think you succeed,” she murmured, looking at the can. Her face was pink up to her ears. She didn’t understand why he had her whipped up in such a state of uncertainty.

Ulquiorra picked up his cup and took a sip. “Hmmm, more peanut butter. The chocolate is still overpowering it,” he commented. Time to ruffle her feathers more. He went to the other side of the counter and pulled one of the barstools closer to where she sat. “So you said you had two other ideas for designs?”

Oh. Work. Okay, right, that’s why she was here. She tucked her chin a bit and looked up at him with round eyes. He was close to her. “Yes, they’re just works in progress, but I have them on my phone, if you’d like to see them,” she offered.

“Sure,” he said. She looked somewhat guilty or something. Ulquiorra propped his elbow on the counter of the island and placed his chin in his hand. “How long have you been dating Grimmjow?”

“Um, dating?” she asked. She had to think about it. When did it start? She picked up the mug he had given her and took a sip. She was immediately pulled off of her train of thought. Oh my goodness. This was heaven. Her eyes closed and a soft moan echoed inside of the cup. She kept it near her face and opened her eyes, looking at him over the rim of the mug, and said, “This is really good,” then set it down. There was whipped topping on her nose. “Oh, about a month, I guess,” she said, finally answering his question. She didn’t count the office screws as “dating”.

Reaching over, Ulquiorra wiped the small dollop of whipped cream off her nose with the pad of his thumb. He pulled the hand back and sucked the sugary stuff off his thumb, making sure to keep eye contact with her as he did it. This playboy thing and flirting was easier than he imagined.

Her face turned red and she bit down on the inside of her lips. Why did it feel like he was trying to seduce her? Why did her seat feel hot? Why was her breath just slightly shallow? She wasn’t in a position to entertain those questions. She turned her face from his and smiled at her hands. “Well, thanks. I’m not going to win any grace awards, am I?” she asked with an embarrassed huff of laughter. She took her phone out of her purse and unlocked it, pulling up her photo library. “You want to see?”

“Want to show me?”

She had the first idea up and handed the phone to him. “It’s this and the next one,” she said, just barely over a whisper.

Ulquiorra looked at the coffee bean. It was cute. Maybe too cute. He swiped the wrong way and saw a sketch that looked like him. He swiped again seeing the little bird with the scarf. “I think I swiped the wrong way,” he said, using his finger to go the other direction. He came across the bean again and then saw the coffee cup. His eyes travelled over the design, then he went back to the bean. “Refine both of them. Combine them into one. Maybe have the bean leaning into the coffee cup. My supplier for the black cups is going to discontinue selling them so I’m switching to all white cups. The gift bags I have are white and so are the boxes for muffins and donuts.” 

“Is there anything else you might be interested to see? I can try something out if you have any ideas,” she offered, happy at his tentative approval of her mock-ups.

“No eyes,” he said. “I did like the tear tracks you did with the first logo. Incorporate that somehow.”

She smiled. She was disappointed, but not in anyway she was willing to admit to herself. Especially not in the way a small part of her hoped he would tell her he was interested in seeing her. She loved Grimmjow. Maybe he didn’t love her, yet, but they were on their way there, she thought. “Well, I’ll work on that, then,” she said, still glad that he was giving her a chance. She picked up her cup and took another sip, careful not to get any whipped cream on her nose this time. She didn’t know if this was the end of the meeting or what.

He watched her for a moment. “Did you have other ideas? We can discuss them.” Ulquiorra gave her a small smile before it was gone.

Whoa. Just that small smile had rattled her cage. “We can discuss anything you like,” she found herself saying. Jesus, Orihime, pull yourself together. “Are there any other motifs or themes or moods that you’re drawn to? I’ll be honest with you; I’m not a logo designer, I’m an illustrator. So my inclination is always a bit more fussy than what clients generally want.”

“Have dinner with me.”

“Oh, are you hungry?” she looked at her phone. It was dinner time. “Okay,” she said.

Was he hungry? He was starting to be, but not for food. For some reason he was drawn to her. He wanted to do much more than discuss things with her. He wanted to take her from Grimmjow. He wanted her. “I’m not really hungry but I want to have dinner with you,” Ulquiorra said plainly.

For what felt like the fortieth time that night, her face heated up. “Why do you want to have dinner with  _ me _ ?” she asked, like it was a ridiculous idea. Nobody noticed her or wanted her or particularly liked her. That Grimmjow did was a miraculous mistake on his part. 

“No one is around to distract me with their basic bitch, nonsensical concoctions. You like quiet. You think you fade into the background while your friends dominate activities,” Ulquiorra said, standing up. He shuffled closer to her and stared at Orihime. “Why do you study me so much?”

She could barely breathe. She felt like a mouse, and he was a cat. “I, uh…” her voice was breathless. “I think you are interesting. I like your aesthetic. You move well…” she trailed off, inwardly berating herself. She sounded like a creep.

Oh. She didn’t like him for him. She just liked his aesthetic. That deflated his ego a bit. “I see. It doesn’t have to be tonight, but perhaps we can have a business dinner after you’re done with the sketches and ideas you have. I’m open to anything, except my eyes being used. I do like that little bird you drew for your blog.”

“Oh, so you know it’s mine?” she asked, the heat in her face suddenly replaced with cold.

He nodded. “The pregnant nun comment and the sneak peek,” Ulquiorra replied. He grabbed his mug and walked over to the sink and rinsed it out, feeling like a fool. She probably thought he was desperate or something now.

“Can I tell you something? You might not find it interesting, but you might understand why I refused selling you the name,” she offered.

“It’s not important. You’ve stated in many an email that it holds sentimental value to you.”

Oh. Oh, okay. She wasn’t important. Whatever he was playing at with her tonight… He was a cat. A cat batting at a mouse. What an idiot she was. She should not be bothered by it, but hurt was pinching her features a bit. “Alright. We can have dinner whenever you want me to have the mock-ups ready. Yours is the only project I have, so name a deadline.”

“Whenever you can fit it in,” Ulquiorra said still not turning around. His hands gripped the edge of the sink and he sighed. “I know you’re probably busy.”

“Not really,” there was something wrong. “Hey, what’s bothering you?” she asked softly, her tone worried.

“It’s nothing. I go through moments like these,” Ulquiorra said. “As I said, whenever you find time. I’m not fussed.” He turned around and his face showed a perfectly blank expression. “Are you done?” he asked pointing to the mug.

She wasn’t done, but she knew when she was being dismissed. She slid off of the stool and brought the cup over to him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, trying not to get emotional. “I’ll have Grimmjow let you know when it’s ready. I’ll see myself out,” she said, at no louder volume, walking towards the exit.

“Tell me yourself. I’m working directly with you, not Grimmjow. I told him I wanted you,” Ulquiorra said. He didn’t add anything onto that or bother to explain what he meant.

She stopped and turned to look at him from across the kitchen. “Why me?”

“Why me?”

She stood and stared at him for a long moment, not exactly sure what he was asking. No matter what the exact nature of the question was, her answer would probably be the same. She took a slow breath through her nose before she replied, “Because I like you.”

“Ditto. See you tomorrow morning if you’re getting coffee.”


	7. Promise

Grimmjow waited for Orihime to text him. The meeting shouldn’t have taken this long. Ulquiorra was an in and out kind of guy. There was no pomp with him. There was no fuss. 

Finally, he just called Orihime. If she was still busy with discussing what Ulquiorra wanted, then he’d just say he was checking in.

“Hello?” she answered. There was street noise in the background.

“Princess? Where ya at?” he asked as he started pacing the living room of his apartment.

“I’m almost to your place. I just needed a walk. The meeting was… weird.”

Grimmjow scowled. The meeting was weird? Well, Ulquiorra was weird. “You okay? Anything bad happen? Do I need to kick Cifer’s ass?”

“No, nothing bad happened. It was just a bit awkward. He had me come upstairs, made some coffee, looked at the pictures of the mock-ups, then more or less kicked me out. It was just… confusing,” she said.

“Hold up. You went upstairs?” Grimmjow’s tone was incredulous. 

“Yeah, he said he couldn’t concentrate downstairs with the noise and the bad music,” she answered.

“You went upstairs.” He was not happy about this. Ulquiorra never took anyone upstairs to his apartment. Maybe that’s why he came into Grimmjow’s office; to antagonize him. “Tch.”

“Is that a problem? I’m here, by the way,” she said, waiting to be buzzed up.

Grimmjow buzzed her in as he made a circuit around the room again. “I don’t know if it’s a problem yet.”

She ended the call and walked up to the second floor and to door number six. She knocked and waited for him to open up.

The blue haired man took a deep breath and opened the door. He wore a troubled expression. “Just so we’re clear and there are no misunderstandings, Orihime… you fuck around on me and we’re done. Okay?” There was no hello. It was just that. He stepped to the side and motioned for her to come in.

“Clear,” she said, a bit put off by the insinuation. “I’m not fucking around on you,” she added.

“Good. I’m glad to hear that. I don’t play around when I really like someone,” he said, shutting the door. He grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled Orihime close.

“Grimmjow,” she started carefully. She needed to know. She needed to cut out the uncertainty now. “How  _ do _ you feel about me?”

He took a step back and ran his hands through his hair. “I like you. I’d beat someone’s ass for you. I have feelings for you. I wouldn’t be spending the night at your place or have you here if I didn’t care about you.”

“Same,” she said softly. “You’re not fucking around on me, are you?”

“Lady, you keep my balls drained. How can I even look at another woman when I got you?”

She chuckled at that. “I don’t know,” she said. It was as if the tension that had built up with Ulquiorra had all but disappeared.

“I know it seems like I’m a player. I ain’t.” Grimmjow pulled her close again, but this time he picked her up and kissed her. “My kingdom, right?”

“Right,” she replied with a blinding grin, then kissed him back. He made her feel safe and wanted. Being here with him right now filled her with a profound sense of relief. She knew he would take care of her. If she had a choice, she would be happy to come home to their kingdom everyday. “I love you,” she whispered between kisses.

He pulled back and stared at her for a moment. “What? Did you say?” His blue eyes searched her face. The last person who said those words to him ended up getting fucked by Nnoitra. Orihime wouldn’t do that to him. She was a good woman. He kissed her as he walked towards his bedroom. “My lady.”

He didn’t freak out. She said it, and he didn’t freak out. “I said I love you, Grimmjow.” This was huge. Her pulse was pounding in her ears.

“I can’t say it yet, but I do adore you, Orihime. A couple more months and I’ll say it,” Grimmjow said, running his fingers through her hair. He kissed her again slowly before he sat her down on the bed. “You make me happy.”

She was happy and she wasn’t. The strong beat in her ears dissipated and changed into a bit of pressure between her eyes. She gave him a tiny smile, more with her eyes than her mouth. She could accept this. This wasn’t anything like what Uryu had done. Not even close. This was almost a promise. “You make me happy, too,” she said.

His hand slipped down her neck, giving one of her tits a gentle squeeze before he moved it to her thigh. He bit his lip and looked at her, trying to gauge her reaction as his hand moved under the hem of her skirt. As soon as his fingers brushed her panties, Grimmjow hissed. “Damn, you’re already wet for me.”

Well, she was already wet. She’d been wet. The thought of Ulquiorra staring at her shirtless flashed through her mind and her hips raised to meet Grimmjow’s hand. “Hmm,” she moaned. “I’ve been waiting since yesterday afternoon.” It wasn’t a lie. He hadn’t touched her after she went down on him in his office.

“I’m sorry. Kuchiki can go fuck himself with me staying late and working on stupid projects. It could have waited until today,” Grimmjow growled as he pulled the fabric to the side. “So hot for me, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” came the hot, rough whisper. “I want you, Grimmjow. I want to feel you. I want you,” she mewled. She wasn’t sure what had come over her. She felt hot and desperate. She needed relief.

Shit. She was saying all the stuff to get him going. He exhaled a long breath. Reaching between their bodies, he quickly undid the fastenings of his trousers shoving them down with a little bit of difficulty. “You on birth control?” he asked, glad that he had some sense to ask that before he just entered her.

“Yes,” she breathed into his ear before kissing him, sucking his tongue into her mouth and whimpering through her nose.

Grimmjow growled again, giving his cock several strokes before he pressed against Orihime’s slit. A low groan left his throat. She was so fucking soft and velvety. She was so hot and slick. “Fuck.”

She wasn’t quite expecting it, even though she had wanted it. A high-pitched sigh left her throat and she clung to his shoulders. “Grimmjow!” she called to him on an inhale, and she rocked her hips over the head of his cock, catching it in her entrance. She trembled in his arms as she let her body slide down onto him, looking into his eyes with a mix of affection, arousal, and fear.

“It’s gonna feel intense at first,” he told her resting his forehead against hers. He hadn’t done this in a while and even then it had only been a couple of times. He kissed her, then pulled back, giving her a hungry glance. “You okay, Princess?”

Her skin felt like it was on fire. She didn’t know why this terrified her so much. She had never let herself be so exposed and vulnerable before. “You’ll take care of me, right?” she asked, her voice wavering. Unsteady fingertips caressed his face as she raised her hips off of his lap a bit and came back down slowly.

“I’ll always take care of you, baby.” Grimmjow helped her move, his hands grabbing her hips, bouncing her gently on his cock. “You feel so good Orihime. So damn good.”

“So do you,” she whimpered. She wasn’t satisfied like this, though. She paused her movements and sat on him, pulling her sweater off and unhooking her bra, tossing it to the side. Her fingers started working on the buttons of his blue dress shirt. Once they were free, she pulled it off of his shoulders and pressed her front to his. Only when she had that skin to skin contact did she start moving on top of him again, holding him flush to her body and crying softly in bliss as she moved. 

This was so much different without a condom. So much hotter. Surprisingly, it was a lot more emotional. She was really giving herself to him. “I’m yours, Grimm,” she murmured below his ear, her hands coming up to tangle in his tufts of blue hair.

He laid back, taking her with him while he thrust into her core at a rapid pace. This was too damn good to hold back anything. As soon as he got close to going over the edge he changed his pace to slow strokes. A loud groan. “Dammit, Hime. You’re going to make me come.”

“Come inside me, baby,” she mewled, pressing soft kisses into his lips. “I want you to.”

“I’m gonna get you off after I get mine,” he growled. He resumed that punishing pace, feeling his body start tightening as his orgasm loomed over his head. “Fuck. Fuck. Hnnnngh.”

That didn’t take him long until he was feeling his dick twitch and pulse inside of her. He could feel the force of his come bathe her walls with his seed.

She listened to his voice and felt his pace stagger and become erratic. She felt warm stickiness begin to trickle down her inner thighs. The heat in her body began to cool as she waited for some kind of reaction from the man underneath her.

Grimmjow panted as he lifted Orihime off of him and to the side. “It’s been a while since I’ve experienced that. Damn. Give me a minute to figure out if my brain is still working and I’ll repay you.” He grinned at her and then sat up, capturing her lips with his.

She smiled back at him, returning his kiss with enthusiasm. When he lay back, she rolled onto her side, letting her head lay on her arms as she watched his face. She didn’t want his ejaculate making too much of a mess on his bed, and was avoiding that by staying on her side. “I have never done that before,” she admitted.

Grimmjow looked at her with wide eyes. “Never? Damn. I just keep taking a lot of your firsts don’t I?” He laughed before getting up. His dress pants were a fucking mess. When he came, he really came. He got rid of the pants and his underwear, leaving them on the floor before he walked out of the room to the bathroom and grabbed a hand towel. He was back in the bedroom in less than a minute. “I’m going to lay this down, sit on top of it, okay?” 

She nodded and watched him put the towel down, then carefully rolled her hips on to it and sat up.

Grimmjow knelt down and watched as everything he put inside of her dripped out. When it slowed, he nodded and stood up. Sitting beside Orihime, he grabbed her breast and played with the nipple, fingers pulling on the skin. “I’m going to make you come now,” he murmured against her neck as he switched to the other tit. 

“Please,” she answered on a breath, letting her head loll back.

“Anything, Princess.”

***

That night, she woke up around two in the morning to use the bathroom and make a couple of notes. She’d been dreaming of hard green eyes and the number four tattooed on a pale body. She took her phone out and opened up the notes app, just tapping out, “four. Cup. leaning bean.”

She probably wouldn’t remember what it meant when she woke up in the morning.

She crawled into bed next to Grimmjow, snuggling up to him. How did she get so lucky? He had gotten her off, although it was just doing it to get things done. It wasn’t the mind-blowing experience she had been expecting when she first sheathed him raw. She was a bit disappointed. Still… he had said he adored her. He said in a couple months, he would be telling her he loved her. That she was his castle. His princess.

She was probably going to marry him.

She smiled at that thought as she drifted back off to sleep.

***

Ulquiorra sighed as he lay in bed that night. It was around two… Maybe later? He didn’t know. He never paid attention to the time when he was in his apartment. Time was meaningless. He found that out while in prison. In prison, all Ulquiorra had was time. There was time to go outside. Time to eat. Time for activities. Time to shower. Time to sleep.

After he was released, he didn’t like time constraints and only kept them for his work day. Working thirteen hours a day kept him out of trouble. 

However…

Being around Orihime Inoue was making his brain have lapses in judgement. He wanted to see more of her, both socially and physically. He wanted to see her smile and bite her lip. He wanted to make her blush more. He wanted to watch her draw and do little things like push her hair behind her ear. 

He was being stupid.

Grimmjow had said she wouldn’t give him the time of day. She had admitted she only liked him because he had a certain vibe; a certain look. She didn’t like him for him. He should have known that.

No one liked him for who he was. Everyone he had fucked with the exception of Sung-sun had been a challenge.

He didn’t fall asleep that night. He kept thinking about Orihime and how he made her blush. How he had been so close to kissing her. 

Did he care that she had a boyfriend? Nope.

There was an inkling that told him that she wouldn’t care either. No one would let him take things as far as he did if they did not enjoy it. Orihime had seemed like she had enjoyed it.

***

Despite waking up in the middle of the night, Orihime was awake before Grimmjow. She had pulled out the little sketchpad in her bag and was working on the suggestions Ulquiorra had given her. The bean was less cute. The cup was less cute. They both had what would be teal tear marks going down their cheeks. The bean leaned against the cup in an almost tragic lover pose, as much as a bean is capable of such a thing. Both items had their eyes closed.

The scratching of her pencil probably woke Grimmjow up, but she didn’t notice.

“Clocking in a bit early today, aren’t you?” He asked rolling to his side and slowly opening his blue eyes to look at her. “You’re not even scheduled for today.”

“I have a class at ten,” she said, not looking up from what she was doing but smiling in response to what he said. She sat there on a hard chair, wearing his dress shirt from the night before, with her pad balanced on her knees. “I want to get this done before tomorrow so I can work it up on the computers at the office.”

He rolled over onto his stomach, grabbing her pillow and burrowing his face into the surface. “I’m sorry about last night. I meant to get you off but feeling you against me… It was too much. We can try that again if you’d like.” Grimmjow turned his head enough to eye her and show her he was blushing slightly. “You look good in my shirt. Hnnngh. I can see you standing in my kitchen wearing one of those shirts. I’d come along, letting it inch up and then just bend you over the counter and make love to you.” 

Her face turned pink at that and she slowly turned it towards him. “Oh yeah?” She smiled at him in a dreamy kind of way. “That’s a pretty picture, although even on my tippy-toes I think I’d need a stepstool to make that work,” she said with a giggle.

“Alexa, add a stepstool to my grocery list,” Grimmjow said and laughed.

Orihime giggled and put her index finger to her lips. “I want to draw you,” she said.

“Like one of your French girls?” He asked, the smile widening on his face. “I’ve never had someone draw me before.”

“Just like my French girls,” she said with a little growl to her voice. “I’ve never had anyone draw me but myself. I won an award for it, though, so I guess I don’t need anyone else to do it,” she said with a chuckle.

“You free this weekend? You can draw me then.”

“Yep,” she said. Then she set her sketchbook down and stretched, letting the hem of his shirt ride dangerously high on her thighs. “Wanna take a shower with me?” she paused then, realizing it was impractical. “Shoot, nevermind. I don’t have anything here to change into. I’m better off doing the walk of shame and getting ready at my place,” she said with a giggle.

Grimmjow snorted and sat up on his knees. His dick was already hard. “You think I’m going to let you walk back home?”

She smiled at him slowly. “No, I know you’ll take care of me,” she said.

***

Orihime took a long hot shower when she got home. As good as being fucked raw had felt at first, it was kind of gross, now. It took some doing to feel clean. She blew her hair out and got dressed for school. She was feeling lovedrunk; happy and romantic. She braided her long hair, letting the plait hang over her shoulder, and put on her favorite jeans, a lacy mauve top, and a gray hoodie with a black jean vest sewn over it. It was cute and sporty and sweet-looking. She was in a real relationship now. She didn’t need to look like she was flaunting it all over town, but she was in love. She wanted to look it.

She bounced into Coffee & Sadness at around nine in the morning. She noticed that it didn’t smell different. The basic bitches were not more subdued. Pumpkin spice season was  _ not _ officially over. Ohhh, she was going to give Ulquiorra a hard time, she thought to herself, chuckling as she got into line.

How many fucking lattes had he made? How many fucking pumpkin spice or pumpkin pie lattes had he rung up? He wasn’t even paying attention as he looked at the total number of lattes they had sold that morning. It was crazy. Almost fifty fucking basic bitch specials had walked out the door. 

He was irritable today. The no sleep combined with the blondes in their sweaters and painted on jeans and boots… He was done. Absolutely done. Maybe he just needed to get laid. Glancing up he saw Orihime in line and sighed. He didn’t need her bullshit today.

“Excuse me,” said a snotty blonde woman standing in front of the redhead.

“What?”

“Uh, I’m ready to order.”

“Well?” Ulquiorra said.

“You are so rude. I bet you couldn’t charm your way into a girl’s bed.”

One eyebrow rose as he stared at this woman with the messy bun, oversized sweater and smokey eye makeup. “Really? Give me your number, your latte is on the house,” Ulquiorra said and gave the woman a small, tiny amused look. 

The dumbass fell for it. She giggled and wrote her number down on a scrap of paper that was laying on the counter. She didn’t ask how he knew she was going to order a pumpkin pie latte with a shot of espresso. Ulquiorra rolled his eyes at the blonde as he handed her the drink and she giggled again.

Ugh.

Orihime watched the exchange, and all the joy she had brought into the door with her burned away. When she got to the counter, she simply said. “Hi. Medium black coffee, please.” She didn’t wait to be told the total, just took out her two dollars and left it on the counter. She was going to give him a hard time. She was going to stay at the cafe until it was time for class. She was going to order something sweet, but now she just wanted to get the hell out of there.

Ulquiorra rang up the order and then put Ethan or Joe or whoever was working that morning on the register to finish taking orders. Orihime had looked like she was on cloud nine but now it looked like someone kicked her puppy or something. He made her order slowly before walking it down to the pickup counter. “What?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. “Usually you talk to me. No words of wisdom today? Where’s my morning smile from you?”

“I got it wrong,” she said. “Pumpkin spices are still everywhere,” she muttered, trying to keep it friendly. He was still a client, after all. She gave him a tight smile.

“You’re mad.” Just from her body posture and the way she was treating him she seemed mad. “Do you actually think I’m going to give  _ that  _ a call?” He scoffed and shook his head.

She shrugged, raising her brows and shaking her head. “I don’t know. I don’t know you that well. And either way, it’s none of my business, is it?”

“Quit acting like you’re butthurt, then.” Ulquiorra sat her cup on the counter but kept his hand on it. “At any time you can leave him and come to me. Just keep that in mind.” Why had he said that? The lack of sleep must be affecting his brain more than normal. He turned and walked into the workroom. He didn’t need to see her reaction to his foolish words.

Her mouth fell open and she watched him leave with round, disbelieving eyes. She felt like a robot as she took her coffee and turned around to leave the shop. What the hell? What the fucking hell was that?

That robotic glaze stayed with her the rest of the day. She went home after class and sat in a chair, staring out the window. She could not wrap her head around what had happened that morning.

By the time five o’clock rolled around, things weren’t any better. Her mind was a swirling, messy cloud of confusion. There was only one place she knew to go when she felt like that. She threw a jacket on and walked the block and a half to Starrk’s.

Nnoitra was there. Starrk was in his office doing paperwork. He watched the redhead as she came to the bar. A smirk came over the tall man’s face. Ulq had been in here again bitching about Orihime Inoue today. It was fun to see the man freaking out about a fucking place to stick his dick. Then Ulq he said he had a blonde bitch to call. The blonde showed up and started giggling. It was funny to see his old friend work his magic. 

It was rare that it happened, but it did. 

The two left the bar, and he could have sworn Ulquiorra said hotel.

Now this pretty little thing walked in and her captor was nowhere around. “Hey Orihime,” he said wiping the bar down with a wide smile.

“Um, hi,” she said, distracted. She took out her debit card and set it on the bar. “The usual, please.” She always refused to look the tall man in the eye. He terrified her.

“One Death in the Afternoon, coming up. So where’ve ya been? Haven’t seen much of ya or Grimm in here lately,” Nnoitra said as he mixed the drink in front of her. “Ya’ll work down at Rotten don’t ya? I think that’s what he said.”

A nod. “Yeah, I’m down to part time now, though. I’m sure he’s still at work. It’s early. We’ve been occupied lately,” she said, offering a small smile. She still wouldn’t look at his face, though.

Hmph. Uppity bitch. Well whatever. It was only a matter of time before he got the bitch where he wanted her. It would take a couple of weeks or months to wear her down, but eventually Nnoitra always got the girl. The girl always was a crying mess afterwards. They came back time after time until Nnoitra booted them to the curb. It happened with Sung-sun. It happened with Cirucci and Giselle and Candice and Nel. Out of all the bitches he had “stolen” from Grimmjow, Nel was his favorite. She was dumb and submissive and her daddy could get her anything she wanted.

“One death in the P.M. for ya,” Nnoitra said. He kept smiling at her. “I invited Grimm and his girl out a couple weeks ago. Fucker never texted me back. When ya see him, tell him to hit me up.”

She rolled her eyes. “Thanks. Like I said, we’ve been busy,” she said, taking her drink and going to he preferred seat over on the velvet sofas.

Mmhmm, bet you been busy, Nnoitra thought to himself as he wiped down the bar.

***

Ulquiorra’s hips snapped into the woman under him. She was loud and acting like she was having a religious experience. He could feel her tightening around his cock again for the fourth damn time. He had her wrists pinned to the mattress after she scratched him the first time. He wasn’t one for being marked. And he especially wasn’t going to let some anonymous bitch do it. 

After one more orgasm on her end, he finally pulled out. “You good?” he asked.

“Uh huh, did I get you off?”

Ulquiorra could have scoffed at the woman. He lied to her. “Yeah, sure. I’m not very expressive or loud when it happens. I’m going to the bathroom and then get dressed.”

“You’re not staying?” the woman asked, sitting up.

“No. I can’t sleep in strange beds, but you’re welcome to stay until checkout time,” Ulquiorra said, walking to the bathroom and disposing of the condom. He splashed cold water on his erection before wiping himself down. It had been fun, and somewhat of a good time, but he hadn’t been into it.

When he walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, he looked at the woman who was smiling at him like she was in love or something. “Yeah?” he asked.

“Nothing, I was just wondering if we could, you know… hook up again. It’d be fun to date a guy who works at a coffee shop. You’d give me free coffee right?” She said smiling at him. 

Ulquiorra looked at her and noticed she was trying to press her fake tits together to entice him. “Nah, I’d charge you double,” he replied.

“Oh honey, you’re so funny. So tomorrow?”

Ulquiorra was shaking his clothes out although he had draped them over the chair. She just kept chattering away at him. He wasn’t even listening. “Huh? Yeah, sure, whatever. I’ve got to go. See ya Britney.”

“It’s Bryce.”

“Yeah, see ya.” 

***

Ulquiorra went back to Starrk’s scowling. The owner of the bar seemed surprised he was there. Again. “What?” He asked the other man. 

Starrk just shook his head and set a glass of whiskey in front of Ulquiorra. He turned in his seat to eye the patrons and he caught sight of a redhead. Fuck. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all. He didn’t need to be around Orihime right now.

He took a sip of the alcohol and glanced up to see Nnoitra smiling at him. “What do you want?”

“You got done fast,” his tall friend said.

“She wasn’t that interesting. The pornstar sounds and the screaming got old pretty quick,” Ulquiorra muttered. “I can give her your number. Might bypass the whole fucking Grimmjow thing over. You two should switch it up sometimes.”

“Nah. You and Grimm have a thing that ya’ll do when it comes to females. Me and Grimm got our own song and dance. Speaking of which… His girl is here.”

Ulquiorra scoffed. “I see this. Send her over a drink. Does she have a tab?”

Nnoitra nodded. “Yep. Want me to go see what she wants or just send her another death?”

“Send the death I guess. Also put her drinks on my tab,” Ulquiorra replied. “I have no clue what she likes here though.”

“She drinks the death’s in the afternoon and the seventy-fives. Tries not to get too blitzed.”

Ulquiorra considered this information as he studied Orihime from where she sat on the couch before taking another sip. She looked dazed. She looked like she was spacing out. He had no clue why he told her what he did today. It had been embarrassing for him. She didn’t give two shits about him.

So what did he do?

He pulled out his damn phone and looked up the closest florist to the coffee shop. He got the owner’s email and sent it off, inquiring about having a single flower delivered to RBM everyday after lunch. Why was he so interested in her? Why did he have this desire to be with her? 

His eyes followed the waitress who set the drink down in front of Orihime.

“Gentleman at the bar sent this over,” the woman said with a smile. 

“Thank you,” Orihime said, not really present yet. She looked down at the drink for a long moment and then back at the bar. Ulquiorra.

She stared at him for a minute and then nodded, picking up the drink. 

Ulquiorra saw her out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head slightly and returned the nod before taking another sip from the drink in front of him. It was the least he could do. He’d been a dick to her for as long as he had the coffee shop open. First it was trying to buy the URL. Then he was rude to her when she came into the shop. He had basically told her that if she wanted to leave Grimm he’d be open to being with her. He had told Grimmjow he wasn’t interested in his girl.

Orihime was not sure what to think. She had texted Grimmjow around six thirty asking what he was up to. “Working late”, was the answer. She told him that she was at Starrk’s, and invited him to join her if he got done early enough. She didn’t get a response; and it had been over an hour. 

She looked down at her phone once more and decided that her mind was not slowing down. The absinthe was not doing the trick today. So, she decided to go talk to Ulquiorra. Maybe he would explain. Maybe he would do something to piss her off or somehow right the tilted frame that her mind had become. She stood up, taking her things and drink with her, and walked over to the bar, sitting beside her client.

“Thanks. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Dunno. You don’t have a tab to pay either. I took care of it,” Ulquiorra said. He should have fucked that woman until he came. Maybe he wouldn’t have come back to Starrk’s if that happened.

She was quiet for a moment and considered just going back to her previous spot. Something about this was giving her red flags. She should just go home and wait for Grimmjow to call. But on the other hand, this was going to keep bothering her. “You don’t know?”

Ulquiorra shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said in a quiet voice. “Does that bother you?”

“It confuses me,” she answered, wrinkling her nose. When he raised his glass to his mouth, she distinctly detected the smell of latex and sex. “Not that much, I guess,” she smirked after that, taking another drink of her own. “Well, I wanted to say thanks and thanks for the first one, too.” She looked at Nnoitra finally. “Can I get my card, please?”

The grin on Nnoitra’s face was unsettling to Ulquiorra. He didn’t like it. That grin meant the man was scheming, After Nnoitra walked away to get Orihime’s card. He looked at her. “I confuse myself at times. Look, what I said to you today...”

She snorted when he said he confused himself. She was going to give him a witty comeback. Then he addressed the elephant in the room and the smile melted off her face. “Yes?” she finally prodded after he paused for too long.

“I’m not going to apologize for it. I’m not going to take it back. I said what I said and I meant it,” Ulquiorra replied. He glanced at her before he finished his drink. “Why’d you get pissy this morning?”

She was getting upset now. She had to get a hold of herself. Right. Her witty comeback. “I thought I was your favorite customer, I guess. I thought you didn’t care for pumpkin spice, and yet it’s still on the menu and even _you’re_ drinking it. It’s stupid. I’m just one who fades into the background of the bolder and more beautiful. I was upset with myself, I guess.” She lost her face in her glass after that.

“Pumpkin spice is the flavor of the season until December. And I fucking hate it. I wouldn’t ever drink it.”

“You reek of pumpkin spice right now,” she murmured into her glass.

“I never tell you that you reek of bourbon caramel and espresso,” he quipped back.

“Touché.” She took another sip.

Ulquiorra sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Didn’t you feel it? In my apartment? Was I wrong--Hey Nnoi, get me another.”

The guy nodded before he handed Orihime her card. 

She waited until the other man had walked away to reply. “I don’t know. I know I…” She stopped. This was ridiculous. “I told you I like you. I do. I like our morning banter about Susan and I like watching you. I like your drinks and your eyes. I think you’re funny. I don’t know much else about you, though. I think I’ve spent too much time watching you and making up a fantastical backstory for you. This morning you kind of broke the illusion.” She was not going to address the “feeling “ in his apartment. That was way too dangerous. “About what you said this morning, well, that’s bold. I don’t know what you think would make me believe that you mean it, though.”

Ulquiorra watched the glass of whiskey being set down in front of him followed by a glass of water. He took a sip of the water first before he answered her. “You know everything there is to know about Grimm, then? I think you’d be the only person I might consider telling about my past.”

Her eyes slid over to his. “What makes me so special?” she asked, a dubious glint in her eye.

“I don’t know. I’m wondering that myself. I’ve not wanted anyone in my life since I was seventeen, almost eighteen.”

Her cheeks turned red again. He  _ wasn’t  _ playing around. At least it didn’t sound like it. She was starting to feel very uncomfortable. She was having a hard time breathing and her chest burned. She should have just left it alone. She took a slow, deep, shaky breath. “Can I show you why I won’t give up coffee and sadness?” she asked, totally changing the subject.

Ulquiorra nodded and looked at her. Now he was thinking about the fact that he shouldn’t have slept with the anonymous woman.

She took out her sketchbook from her purse. She flipped it over to the last page, and then flipped that over to reveal the thick back cardboard cover. Attached to it was a picture of a sixteen year old girl with bright red hair, standing beside a large drawing with a small placard next to it that read: “Coffee and Sadness. Orihime Inoue. 11th grade. Warrenville.” The drawing was a picture of Orihime lying over a table with her hand in the foreground and her cheek resting on her arm, wearing a heartbreakingly sad expression. Beside her was a steaming cup of coffee. There were houseplants in the background but the rest was negative space. There was a blue ribbon hung on it.

His green eyes took in the drawing. He took in the photo that she was showing him. It held sentimental feelings. He gave her a nod before he picked up the whiskey glass and drained it in one go. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what? I’m not offended that you want your business name. It’s logical. I’m just trying to let you in—” What the fuck was she talking about? “I’m just trying to show you why. It’s not because I don’t want you to have it. Its because it’s who I am.”

He studied her face for a moment. ”I’m sorry I hounded you about it,” he finally said.

She laughed. “I’m not. It made me feel valuable.”

“You should feel valuable all the time, not just when I offer you enough money to make you comfortable for a couple of months.” Ulquiorra paused and looked down at the bar top. “I should get home and stop bothering you.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to contradict him. She wanted to keep talking to him. But... she had a boyfriend. She was in love with Grimmjow. And actually, he  _ was _ bothering her; not that him leaving would stop that. “I’ve never been valuable,” she said under her breath, and then glanced at him. “I’ll be in tomorrow for hot chocolate. I hope you have the ratio figured out by then,” she said with tiny smirk.

“I’ll stay up all night figuring it out if I have to. It has to be perfect,” Ulquiorra replied. He stood up, confident on his feet. He gave her a nod before going over and talking to Starrk before he left the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let us know what you think!


	8. Skim Milk in Stock

The next morning Orihime kissed Grimmjow goodbye and went straight to the office. She didn’t have classes on Thursdays until the afternoon, so she had packed a bag after she left Starrk’s and Grimmjow picked her up.

She worked with just office coffee for the first half of the morning, but by ten-thirty she was dragging. 

“Orihime, I need--”

“A non-coffee latte, Susan?”

The older woman smiled. “Yes. With the pumpkin spice flavoring. Karen was telling me how exotic it was.”

Orihime grinned widely. She looked absolutely overjoyed. “Excellent. I will have to try it for myself, sometime. I’ll be right back with that,” she said and left to go over to Coffee & Sadness.

He watched Orihime walk across the street. He saw her come in and gave her a nod. He had spent a couple of hours trying to get the ratio of chocolate to peanut butter right but then decided to go back to his original recipe. “Morning, Orihime. Black coffee?”

She grinned at him like she had a wonderful secret. “Nope,” she said, squeaking a bit. She could not wait to unload the gem Susan had gifted to her.

“Do not tell me you came in here with some nonsense coffee orders.”

She bit on her grin and blushed a bit, then shook her head. “Just one. Are you ready?”

“Not really, but lay it on me,” he said.

“ _Susan_ would like a non-coffee latte with _exotic_ pumpkin spice,” she said, breaking into a fit of voiceless giggles. “And a PB hot chocolate for me.”

Ugh. “There’s nothing exotic about it. It comes from a syrup maker. I bet even starbucks uses the same damn extract. What the hell is with these women who need pumpkin spice everything?” Ulquiorra grumbled. He shook his head. “I bet there’s pumpkin spice KitKats or something.”

“This would not surprise me,” she said, shoving her hands into her pockets. She was wearing the same maroon outfit she had worn during the first meeting she had in Grimmjow’s office with Ulquiorra.

He tried not to stare. He tried not to stare at her or notice how the clothing was molded to her body. He failed. He rang up Susan’s order and the hot chocolate and said, “Five bucks.” 

Orihime raised an eyebrow at him. “Is it senior discount day? Because Susan’s not _that_ old.”

“Nope, I comped your coffee. My favorite customer and guinea pig gets the first cup free.” Ulquiorra gave her a minuscule smirk.

“That’s how you get ‘em hooked, isn’t it?” she said, smiling back at him. For some reason, when they had the counter between them, it felt like all the awkwardness and danger of their previous encounters was irrelevant. This was just their customary banter. She had missed it.

The smirk grew bolder. “I’ve already got you hooked. The coffee is just a bonus, right?” He gave the guy working behind the counter with him Susan’s cup before he went to get Orihime’s order.

She watched him. He seemed more cheerful to her than he had, maybe, ever. She felt a warmth in her chest, and she approached the counter, leaning into it and smiling gently. She was fond of him. “Right,” she said as she watched. Too much time had passed since he asked the question, so it was probably an orphan statement, but she didn’t care.

Of course, Susan’s pumpkin flavored milk was sat in front of Orihime first. Ulquiorra was putting the peanut butter whipped cream on her drink and fitting the lid on it. He brought it over to her and leaned forward slightly. “I put a top on it so you don’t get whipped cream on your nose this time.”

Her smile widened, appling her cheeks and turning them pink. “Thanks for looking out for my nose,” she murmured.

“It’s a cute nose,” Ulquiorra said. He was going to say more, but there was chattering behind Orihime.

He straightened his body and saw the basic bitch brigade come in… It included the woman he had sex with the previous night. He glanced at her. “Have a good day,” he said to Orihime.

She saw where his eyes had moved and turned to look. It was that same woman. She recognized her. She saw the hungry look in the woman’s eyes and how she mouthed the word, “Hey,” to him suggestively. 

When Orihime turned back around to pick up her drinks, the glow on her face was gone. “You too. I’ll be in touch about the project in the next couple of days,” she said dryly and left.

***

Ulquiorra looked at the blonde and honey brunettes in front of him with their sweaters and jeans and boots. “I’m sorry Bethany, but--”

“Oh you’re being silly again. It’s Bryce.”

“Brenda,” he said pointedly. “I told you I’d charge you double. The price of the latte for you is ten dollars.”

The woman scoffed while everyone else giggled. “I can bring you lots of business and you want to treat me like this? I can’t believe I got you off last night.”

Ulquiorra sighed, already tired of this. He just decided to end this entire exchange. “You didn’t. Thanks for playing. You’re looser than a Chicago brothel.”

There were more titters as whatever-her-name-was turned and walked out of the shop. Ulquiorra took the orders for four pumpkin pie lattes and then avoided Rangiku’s eyes as she stood in the doorway of the work room. When the counter was clear he finally met her eyes. 

“Busy? All five of them?” she asked with a smirk. 

“No. Just the one that walked out. She kept talking. It was unattractive,” Ulquiorra replied. He wiped down the counter and then decided that things needed to be stocked. The thing was, nothing needed to be stocked. “We need more pumpkin spice.”

“What’s with the redhead?” Rangiku asked.

Ulquiorra shrugged. “She’s dating Grimmjow. I’m having RBM work on a logo. She’s--”

“You’re flirting with her, Ulq. In the three or four years I’ve known you--”

“Shut up Rangiku. It’s not a big deal. Maybe I’m trying to branch out and try to be social.” Ulquiorra turned away from the woman and decided to wipe tables off.

***

Orihime sat at her desk, clicking at her mouse, not really working. She sipped the hot chocolate and closed her eyes. Damn it. It tasted exactly like it had at Ulquiorra’s apartment. She sighed to herself. Why was she even wasting her thoughts on it? Why was it bothering her? Was she just flattered? Was she so desperate for attention that she was jealous when he gave his to someone else?

It had to be that. She was fooling herself anyway that it meant anything more than flirtation and whatever. Besides, she was not going to entertain any advances. She was just letting him feed her fragile ego. It was a dick move, Orihime. Even if he didn’t mean it, it could easily be interpreted badly. 

She walked over to Grimmjow’s office. He was her future. He made her feel safe and loved and happy. She knocked on the doorframe.

Grimmjow looked up at her and waved her in. “Hey, beautiful. What’s up? Get anywhere on the Coffee & Sadness thing?”

She blushed and let herself inside of the office, closing the door. “I am having a bit of a mental block, but I was stopping by to see if you had plans for lunch.”

He nodded with an unhappy expression. “We got a new campaign for a new client. The bossy woman called me directly and said she wanted to have lunch to talk about what she wanted, and Byakuya is riding my ass already. Apparently she’s wanting to shell out a lot of money to get her logo right. She wants us to make her the brand. Pffft. How about dinner? I’m cutting out early tonight.” 

“I have class this afternoon, but I’ll be done by four. After that?”

Grimmjow was going to answer but there was a knock on the office door and Susan stuck her head inside. “Orihime, you have a delivery,” she said in a bitchy voice.

“A delivery? I didn’t order anything,” she said in a confused voice.

“Who is it Sue?” Grimmjow asked standing up and walking over to where Orihime stood.

“It’s a florist.”

Orihime smiled and looked at Grimmjow. “Did you?”

He certainly didn’t, but he smiled at her. He might as well take credit for it. “You’ll have to go see.”

She pressed her lips together in an embarrassed smile and walked over to her desk quickly. On it sat a single white daisy with a yellow center in a little tube of water. There was no greenery or card. Just a single stem. It seemed an odd gesture. She picked it up and smelled it and then looked up over at Grimmjow, who stood in his office door.

He smiled at her. Inside his head he was livid. Who the fuck would send his girlfriend a flower? Who knew where she worked? It had to be Ulquiorra. He was the only one who would dare do such a thing.

“Like it?” he asked.

“It’s sweet,” she said with a little smile.

He gave her a nod. “I try,” Grimmjow said.

“Thank you. I love it,” she said, giving him a look full of significance.

“Oh for god’s sake, do it at home, you two,” Susan bitched before walking the other direction. “Oh, Orihime, can you get me a grilled cheese from across the street? I’m too busy for lunch today.”

Orihime threw some side eye in Susan’s direction. “Do you want any exotic drinks with that?”

“Actually, just a jasmine tea. I feel like everything has dairy in it,” she muttered.

Orihime’s eyes widened and she mouthed the word, “Wow,” in disbelief.

“Sue, grilled cheese has dairy in it,” Grimmjow said before he turned and went back to sit at his desk.

Orihime sat at her desk for a moment, fishing around for the RBM credit card that now just lived in her desk drawer. If anyone else needed it, they knew where to find it. She picked up the flower and spun it around in her fingers a bit. Grimmjow was sweet. She’d have to show some appreciation later, she thought, before getting up and getting ready to go back over to Coffee & Sadness.

When she got in and saw Ulquiorra, she was determined not to get down about him. He was just her favorite baristo. That was all. She was his favorite customer. She loved Grimmjow and he… well he liked her a lot. Ulquiorra didn’t have any right to sway her mood. She had gotten a flower today. She had a serene, sweet look on her face when she opened the door and got into line.

“Peach and gorgonzola to go. Maple coffee. Three grilled cheese.” He told the woman her total and then handed off the order to one of the underlings. He had to keep focus and ignore Rangiku’s words. So when he looked up at the line, he did a double take. Orihime was back. She was just a customer. He took two more orders before he got to her. “Another pumpkin milk?”

Orihime’s smile widened a bit. “No. Can you believe that Susan feels like she’s had too much dairy? She wants a grilled cheese, by the way,” she joked, but her tone was not as acidic as it usually was when discussing her coworker. “She’ll have a jasmine tea, though. And did I hear something about peaches?”

Ulquiorra nodded. “It’s a thing that may replace the fig and bleu cheese tray, or I might add it to the menu. It’s the same price though. It has a warm honey drizzle with a pinch of cinnamon and black pepper.”

She bit her lip as she imagined it. “Okay, then. One of those, too, and um…” usually she knew what she wanted but her head was in the clouds after the floral delivery and the new lunch thing she’d be having. “Um… Umm…”

“Caramel coffee pairs well with it. Or a latte. I can even make caramel hot chocolate,” Ulquiorra said, looking at her. He had seen the florist delivery van. She had to have gotten his small gift. “Or just a black coffee with a splash of skim milk?”

“You don’t carry skim milk,” she said, tilting her face a bit.

“I am stocking a small bottle for you,” he said quietly and looking down at the screen.

“Then black coffee with a splash of skim, please,” she said at equal volume.

“Card,” he said, then swiped it through the reader after she handed it to him. Ulquiorra gave her a quick but tight smile after he was done. “Let me know what you think of the peaches.”

“I will, but I’m sure I won’t be disappointed,” she said, taking the card back and smiling down at the floor. “It might inspire a new playlist.”

He nodded. “Free advertising is a good thing. Ethan will get your order.”

“Thanks Ulquiorra. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, rather confidently for her. Almost businesslike. Still kind, though.

There was a slight flinch after she said that. Whatever. She. Was. A. Customer. He had to keep repeating that to himself. She had a boyfriend. She wasn’t interested him. “Yup. See ya.”

***

**Evanston, IL. Coffee & Sadness New Menu Review**

_Peaches and Gorgonzola. PEACHES AND GORGONZOLA._ **_PEACHES AND GORGONZOLA!!!_ ** _That is all, thanks for reading._

_Just kidding._

_But jokes aside, do you want to experience a food orgasm? I know you do. Go to C &S. Order the cheese plate. Tell them the “Rotten Gofer” sent you. You can thank me for it later. _

_I’ve been a bit busy lately. Life and all. Here’s something to brighten your day. It definitely put a smile on my face._

There was a sketch of the daisy under the text. 

_Playlist: Walking on Broken Glass - Annie Lennox. Lovesong - The Cure. Floating - Alina Baraz_

_(bit of a genre departure, but c'est la vie)_

***

A couple weeks passed by. Ulquiorra counted ten flowers delivered to Orihime. Monday through Friday, between eleven am and one pm, the van would pull up and the guy would take the flower in and then come back out.

He had to wonder if that’s why Orihime seemed like she was happy everyday that she came into the coffee shop. He couldn’t focus on her for long.

There was a flood of young women and men coming into the shop ordering the new fruit plate. Ulquiorra knew who was responsible for this. He had seen the blog post. One young couple said they came all the way from Gary, Indiana to try this thing. 

It was good. It wasn’t a food orgasm. 

Saturday he decided to go shopping. The grocery store was surprisingly not busy this early in the morning. Maybe he should make walnuts optional with the fruit plates or offer those whole wheat crackers the vendor had been wanting him to try. Hmmm. It was something to think about.

He was so lost in thought in front of the dairy display, holding a small carton of heavy cream, that he didn’t notice Grimmjow. It took the man poking him in the side of the head to get his attention. 

“Ulq, what the fuck are you doing?”

“I’m comparing products,” he replied.

“Nah, man you know what I’m talking about. Yesterday it was a pink rose,” his friend growled. “You’re making me look bad. I’m gonna have to send her bouquets or something.”

Ulquiorra shrugged. “It’s not my fault--Wait… how did you figure it out?”

“Dude,” Grimmjow said, as if that explained everything.

“Whatever. You’ve probably made her think they’re from you, so no harm done. It’s just a small gesture to put a smile on her face.”

There was a frustrated sigh. “Why are you doing this? And damn straight I made her think they’re from me. You wouldn’t believe how much I’ve been getting laid.”

“I told you already.”

“You can’t have her. She’s mine.”

Ulquiorra looked at Grimmjow with a bored expression. “Really?”

“Really. I’m not about to share with someone either. You can want her all you’d like. That’s all you’re going to be doing,” Grimmjow stated.

That was probably the wrong thing to say to Ulquiorra. The man just issued him a challenge all nice and neat and wrapped in a bow. “We’ll see about that Grimmjow. Heaven forbid the flowers stop and you’d have to figure out how to woo her on your own.”

“Did you not hear me? I said you can’t have her. Do I need to kick your ass?”

“When have you ever kicked my ass?”

It was the truth. As many times as they fought, Ulquiorra was quicker than Grimmjow and always won their battles. The only time Grimmjow had won was when the bigger man kicked Ulquiorra in the balls. 

“Whatever. I know how to woo my woman.”

“Tch.”

“Tch,” Grimmjow returned. “Keep it up and you’re going to find out.”

A sly smirk came over Ulquiorra’s face. “We’ll see. Good day, Grimmjow.”

***

“I’m done with the mock ups. Did you still want to do dinner to look them over or do you want to just meet at the office?” Orihime said that Friday morning when she came in with the office coffee order, almost a week after Ulquiorra’s encounter with Grimmjow.

“Grimmjow wouldn’t like me to have dinner with you. I’ll look at them next week probably,” Ulquiorra said as he looked at the lists of coffees. Grimmjow’s order had changed to a maple bourbon coffee with cream. Susan was still on her bullshit, as was Karen. Byakuya Kuchiki was still a boring-ass bastard. The one named Julie was also fucking boring. Tim wanted an Italian soda. “All the people in your office have no imagination.”

“That’s funny,” she said with a small chuckle. “I think they imagine big. They imagine themselves _very_ important. Well, let me know about the meeting,” she said. She had narrowed her eyes at his comment about Grimmjow, but said nothing. “I have too much imagination, if I’m to believe my aunt.”

“But your imagination is valid. Your ideas are ones I can work with,” Ulquiorra replied. He looked up at her with slightly pink cheeks. He hadn’t meant to say that. “Not Susan’s non-dairy latte, you know...”

She smiled at that. “Do you smoke?” she asked, seemingly a random question.

“Occasionally.”

“I ask because I was thinking about my aunt. She smokes. The smell is comforting.” She looked at Ulquiorra and smiled. “Christmas is coming up. Maybe I can send her a gift basket from here. Do you ship?”

“I can ship. Do you want me to put together a basket for you to give to her?” Ulquiorra asked, blinking several times. He didn’t know what to think of this request. Before he would have jumped at her request, but the conversation with Grimmjow had him thinking before he acted.

“If it’s not too much trouble, I would love that.” She paused and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath through her nose and smiling. “I know it’s odd, but I really love that smell.”

Ulquiorra’s face tinted a bit pinker. “They’re clove cigarettes. I try not to bring the smell in with me. It’s a bad habit but… I only do it anymore to get my head straight.”

She smiled at him in understanding, then looked around the shop. “You’ve been busier. It’s pumpkin spice season. You just came back from your break—” Her face turned a bit pink. “Yeah, I know your schedule. I practically live here,” she admitted with a chuckle. “Anyway, I don’t blame you for needing it.”

“It’s only going to get busier with the holidays coming up. You wouldn’t believe the amount of people who rush in the week of Thanksgiving. It’s madness,” Ulquiorra said to her. “Minter is coming.”

“Minter?” She asked, a confused smile on her face.

“Mint. Everything mint flavored. Peppermint Mochas. Mint hot chocolate. Mint and white chocolate lattes,” Ulquiorra replied with an amused glance. “Minter. Mint plus winter.”

She shook her head. “Blech, not a fan of Minter.” She laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Susan and Karen LOVE it.”

“You’re not a fan of pumpkin season either,” Ulquiorra commented. He leaned onto the counter and stared at her. It was a challenge on his part.

She did not back down. She thought he was teasing her. She put her hands on her hips and arched her back slightly, raising her chin, then said, “Oh yeah? You got a problem with that?” in some goofy mimic of an old crime movie detective voice. She held his gaze.

“Nope. Otherwise I would have already gotten your number,” he smirked at her and quickly flashed his eyebrows before returning to a passive gaze. “I’m kidding. I think it makes you interesting that you’re willing to try new things.”

She smirked back. “Well, Adventure _is_ my middle name,” she said with a worldly air, then laughed. “Just kidding. It’s Louise.”

He shook his head. “Okay Louise. Better take Thelma his coffee.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know when I’m not wanted. You’ll call me about the meeting?” she said, still with laughter in her voice.

“I’ll call,” he said pushing off the counter. “Have a good day.”

***

**Halloween Treats**

_Hello dear netizens. ‘Tis I, your friendly Coffee and Sadness blogger, here to spread tidings of good cheer and full-sized candy bars. So, I’m sure you are aware that it’s Halloween this week. I’m between costumes… I think I mentioned the ideas from a previous post, but wouldn’t you know, Halloween Express doesn’t carry derpy pumpkin costumes, and the Frankenstein’s Bride ones are all just hideous. So here we are. Starbucks mermaid, Pikachu, or Pirate Wench? If you wouldn’t mind voting below, I’d appreciate it._

Orihime had sketched out cute versions of each costume on a smiley-faced body, each holding a different flower. She also embedded a limited-time poll for readers to vote.

_Anyway, you should go to Enrique’s for some killer poisoned martini mix. It’s half off this week. Also my home away from home, Coffee & Sadness the coffee shop (not this blog) is still in full Pumpkin Spice swing, but there is also some mapley goodness going on which is well worth it. There is another treat on the specials board that I won’t name, because I want to hoard it all to myself like a dragon, but if you go, you’ll see it. OMG drool. Oh! Also, for the daring, Starrk’s bar will be having a Halloween night with candy corn shots and Witch’s Brew. Good times. _

_Playlist: This is Halloween (The Nightmare Before Christmas), Sandman - Metallica, Thriller - Michael Jackson._

***

Grimmjow panted against Orihime, frustrated with himself. He couldn’t go back to using condoms with her. It just felt wrong. Not using them, though, meant he didn’t last or couldn’t go as long. 

It was a joke. He had to resort to fingering her or going down on her to get her off. If they had sex a second time, sometimes he could get her off with his dick. It was a fucking problem for him. It made him look selfish. It made him look like a prick. He always apologized for it. But now it just seemed like a hassle.

He rolled off of his girlfriend and flopped back onto the bed. “Maybe we should go back to using condoms. I know I can make you a screaming mess with those.”

“Yeah, I mean, I wouldn’t mind,” she said with a laugh, but inwardly thanking her lucky stars that he proposed it. They were having as much, if not more, sex than ever, but it was getting to be problematic for her. It was all about him. He had no self-control. It made her feel like an object instead of a participant. He even skimped on foreplay, so desperate, it seemed, to stick it in her raw and just go for broke. 

This was also affecting the way she viewed him as a person and their relationship. Now that he wasn’t the best lover in all of human existence, she was starting to notice how he was selfish in other ways. Things like having her do his laundry when he left stuff at her house, but never doing hers when she left it at his. He started sending her out to go get take out to eat in the office instead of taking her out. He ignored her a lot when they weren’t being amorous, spending more time watching television or playing on his phone.

Sure, he was still affectionate, and he was kind. He just wasn’t perfect. That was okay. It was eye-opening, though.

“I’m sorry,” he said glancing at her. “It’s like being a kid in a candy store. I can’t wait to have my treats and indulge on them. Maybe a couple of times a week we can practice safe sex and all that.” Grimmjow grinned at her then sighed. All this relationship stuff wasn’t the cause of the stress. His new client was a bitch and demanding. Kuchiki kept riding his ass to please her. It was really just draining him. 

He rolled towards her and kissed the swell of her breast. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

“Um… Take me to Starrk’s on Halloween? A couple of my girls are going, but they are going to get laid. I don’t want to be around that creepy bartender in a Halloween costume.”

“I’d be happy to take you to Starrk’s. What should I go as? I can play a really good thug. Or maybe a demon?” Grimmjow said, with a small smile on his face. “Uh, I was gonna ask… You got plans on Thanksgiving?”

She smiled at his agreement. “Oooh, a demon, yes! And no, I don’t have plans. Why do you ask?”

“Wanted to know if you wanted to meet my Mom. Could take you to see my hometown and where I grew up and met Ulq and Nnoi.” Grimmjow let his fingers circle her nipple. He wasn’t doing it to excite her. He just wanted to touch her.

Orihime’s eyes grew large and her breath caught in her throat. “Oh. Oh, yes. Yes I’d love to meet her!” she answered, rather surprised but very pleased. She was actively ignoring the voice in her head saying, _‘this is just where it started to go downhill with Uryu’_.

“Good. I’ll tell her to expect us on Thanksgiving. My mom makes some mean cranberry relish. It’s awesome stuff,” he said. “I’ll see what I can dig up with the demon gimmick. Might have to go to a Halloween store or something.”

“My blog readers have until midnight tonight to vote on my costume. So far Pikachu is in the lead,” she said, snickering and anticipating a displeased reaction.

“Pikachu?” Grimmjow laughed. “You’re about the size of one. Think I’d look good as Ash?”

She wrinkled her nose. “No… And I’m not squeezing into a Pokeball, so forget it,” she said with a laugh.

“We’ll figure something out. Is it a sexy pikachu? Little yellow dress and some ears?” Grimmjow asked. “I could go as Charizard.”

“You’re on the right track,” Orihime said. “Charizard sounds cute.” The smile on her face lasted a good minute before she got sucked into less pleasant thoughts.

“I could be Snorlax. You know, a total bore, but that’s more Ulq’s calling,” he said chuckling. “Did you have a good day? I know I’ve been ignoring you a bit, but work. It’s important to me to get ahead. I want to have what Kuchiki has and build my own empire.”

She smiled at him. “That’s a lofty goal. That’s good.” She was clamming up a bit.

Grimmjow looked over at her but said nothing. He wanted to tell her what she wanted to hear but he wasn’t ready to say it. “Have I told you how happy you make me? How much I adore you?”

She smiled and nodded. There was a tight feeling in her chest that she couldn’t place. She didn’t trust her voice.

“You okay, Hime? You seem… tense or unhappy. Maybe I’m imagining things. I dunno.” Grimmjow sat up and then got out of his bed and walked out of his bedroom to the bathroom. Maybe she needed some space for a minute or two.

Now why the hell would he ask that and ditch her? It made her feel like he didn’t care or want to know what the answer was. She was frustrated. Everything seemed to be just a bit wrong. She didn’t want to tell him that she could never invite him to meet _her_ mom, but she also wanted to. And now he was gone, and she was sexually frustrated, and sad, and happy, and worried… it was just too much for one day. 

Grimmjow cleaned himself off and then got a warm washcloth for Orihime and a towel. He knew she had issues with wanting to be clean. She didn’t seem to like sitting around with his stuff inside of her. He took it back to the bedroom and smiled at her. “Sorry. Nature called. I did get you something to clean up with,” he said to her, holding up the two pieces of fabric.

“Thank you,” she said, reaching out for the items, and then it happened. A hiccup. A sniff and another hiccup. “Shit,” she muttered, turning her face away and trying to be discreet about cleaning herself and keeping her tears quiet.

He felt like an asshole. Gently, as not to disturb her, Grimmjow sat down next to her and put his arms around her. “C’mon Hime. Tell me what is going on? Are you stressed about the job? Am I stressing you out? Is the whole parent thing stressing you out?”

His concern did her in. She turned into his chest and sobbed. She let it loose and didn’t stop for a few minutes. When it slowed down, she wiped her face with her hands and kissed his collarbone. “You are so sweet. I am just… I’m frustrated and stressed with the job. I told him it was ready and he won’t set up a meeting. I want to meet your mom and it just makes me realize that, especially if you _are_ successful, I can _never_ introduce you to my mom. I’ve never even met my dad. I just love you so much and I feel like… Like… Like I’m not good enough.”

Oh. Oh. Grimmjow tilted her head up and kissed her slowly. She didn’t need to feel like that. “Hey, I’m the King, and my Princess should never feel like that. I don’t talk to my dad. He’s some deadbeat that lives in Michigan, or so I’m told. It’s okay if your mom is MIA. I don’t do well with the whole meeting-the-parents thing. They either tolerate me or detest me. I’ll talk to Ulq this week about coming in and looking at the logos. You’re doing a great job, Orihime. This is your paid gig. This job is all you.”

Grimmjow paused for a moment and looked into the woman’s eyes. “I’m falling in love with you,” he said before he kissed her again. “You’re too good for me, sometimes. You’re even better than me, but never have you been _not_ good enough.”

She whimpered and tears flowed down her face. She bit her lip and nodded at him. If he was falling in love with her, then the rest of it didn’t matter, she thought. She was reassuring herself as much as he was. He wasn’t just using her for her body. That was a stupid thought brought about by not getting off. “I love you,” she squeaked.

“I know you do. You tell me every day. I’m lucky to hear you say it,” he said as he gathered her into his arms, kissing her temple and then jaw before making a line of kisses from her ear down her neck. “I want it to be us, Orihime. You and me, Princess. I want to make love to you, if you’re up for it.”

She sniffled and nodded. “I need you,” she whimpered.

The man nodded and laid her back against the pillows before reaching over to the bedside table and withdrawing a condom from the box inside of it. He looked over her body as he put the packet to the side. Yeah, he’d been neglecting her a bit. He was going to make it up to her tonight. He was going to show her he was the same man he’d been in September and before that. He leaned over her body and kissed her again, letting his tongue pry her mouth open. One hand reached for hers, intertwining their fingers together. The other hand was working her tit, squeezing and massaging the skin. 

She let him do as he pleased, following his lead. She was glad for this. She wanted this. She still couldn’t shake off the melancholy that had taken hold of her, though, and silent tears still drained down the back of her throat as he kissed and touched her. Her body was responding just fine. Her mind was only about eighty percent there, though.

He was nuzzling her tit with his nose and sighed with contentment before he took her nipple into his mouth. She was so responsive to what he was doing. There was just something off about this entire thing, but he promised he could be a better lover and man to her. As his mouth traveled lower, Grimmjow felt his cock become harder. He stopped just before he got to her slit. He sat back and withdrew his hand from hers before he picked up the condom. “Hey Hime?”

“Hmm?” she responded, looking at him with almost a baby face, with wide eyes and a pouty mouth.

Maybe he could say it. He bit his lip before blushing. He had to look down at his dick to put the condom on. When he looked back at her he smiled. “It’s me and you,” he said as he lined himself up against her. “I… I love you.”

She gasped, and her limbs froze. She wanted to be happy, but she froze. When he began to push into her she cried out and brought one shaky arm around his shoulders. The other followed slowly, and her legs were next, wrapping around his hips. She held onto him, unable to speak or even process what he had said. She was just shaken.

Grimmjow held onto her hips as he slowly rocked himself in and out of her body. Occasionally every few thrusts he would kiss her or latch onto her neck for a few seconds. “Me and you,” he murmured to her.

It felt like misery, really. Misery mixed with bliss. He was making love to her like he used to. Her body craved him; craved this. The bloom of affection she always felt before was back. However, there was a layer of cold right underneath that; a whisper of doubt that he was only saying it because he felt railroaded into saying it, for reciprocity’s sake. And under those two layers, was a third that felt like poison. A voice telling her that she didn’t deserve him. She didn’t deserve his love or his trust or his affection. A voice that said she would never meet his mother. That she would fall so deeply for him only to have him tell her she was nothing to him. And she would deserve it. Afterall, she couldn’t stop chatting up his friend. She couldn’t keep her previous boyfriend interested. She couldn’t save her brother. She couldn’t make her mother happy. She had been a burden on her aunt. She was a speck on the wall. Worthless.

She needed that voice to shut the fuck up. She knew two ways to do it, and drinking absinthe at the moment was impractical. “I love you, Grimmjow,” she breathed and took his face in her hands, kissing him deeply. That did the trick.

“Hime, I love you,” he murmured back to her, still sliding into her body at a slow and steady pace. He noticed she was more relaxed now so he upped the speed just a bit.

Her legs tightened around him and she used them to rock her hips in time with his thrusts, helping herself along toward completion. It was something she had learned to avoid doing when they had sex without a condom, because it inevitably led to him coming too fast. But her experience was always better for her when she was an active participant. She was soon panting and tightening on him. She had a way to go, but she was getting close.

“I can feel it. Can you? You’re almost ready,” Grimmjow said to her. “I’m going to make you fall apart, Orihime. I’m going to make you call out my name.” His feet braced on the bed and he pushed himself up on his arms. He used a bit more force but still the same steady movements. The headboard was starting to hit the wall.

The sorrowful cries she had been silencing took on a secondary purpose now as she began to bleat out grunts of building pleasure and agony as she chased her climax. She was much louder than usual, ragged vocalizations filling the room. “Grimmjow… Grimm, I’m gonna--” she really didn’t need to tell him. She’d never faked it. There was no mistaking when Orihime came. Her walls clamped down on him and tried to milk him as she bit back a scream.

He fucked her harder, almost at that peak himself. It didn’t take long until he was groaning and all movement stopped except for the pulsing inside of her. That felt fucking awesome. It lasted longer too. “Love you,” he breathed against her chest.

“Love you, too.” She said, letting her hand smooth out his hair. She did love him. She meant it. But she knew that he did not. She had pressured him into saying it prematurely and it felt a bit hollow.

“Can I take you out to dinner? Like an actual sit down place? I’ll let you pick. Just tell me where you want to go and we will be there.” He looked up at her and smiled. He looked happy. He was happy. He was content, but Grimmjow knew that sometimes being content made other people dissatisfied. With her emotional outburst, Orihime made it known she wasn’t happy. He’d be a better boyfriend to her.

She nodded. “That would be nice,” she said, giving him a small, genuine smile. “I want seafood,” she said then with a dry little chuckle. She felt better now; the hormonal frustration of the past few weeks was ebbing away in her post-orgasmic glow.

“Good.”


	9. Day Off

Ulquiorra had blocked several days off for himself. He needed it from time to time. He got his coffee from downstairs and smiled at Rangiku who just stuck her tongue out at him. She knew what he looked like when he smiled. She had said it was the cutest thing ever.

He left Coffee & Sadness, walking down the street and blowing on the espresso that was steaming in his hands. He’d walk around for a bit, letting the chill in the air clear his head. It was getting colder and colder by the day. Soon he would start letting the shaved parts of his head start to grow out some after finding his scarf and hat.

  
It was too cold in the winter to think about appearances.

Once he saw the lake, Ulquiorra stopped and took in the sight. He bet Grimmjow could see the lake from his place. He sighed. Thinking about Grimmjow brought on thoughts of Orihime. He didn’t want to have this meeting with her. He didn’t want the chemistry between them to die. Ulquiorra wanted to keep her around.

He had admitted to himself last night, as he stood in the shower and jerked off, that he wanted her. She was the thing that caught his eye. She was what he thought about when he couldn’t sleep.

Grimmjow issued that challenge to him. All Ulquiorra had to do was charm her. She’d submit to him. That’s not how he wanted to do things with Orihime, though. He didn’t want to play the petty games that Nnoitra and Grimmjow had been playing for years. Stealing girlfriends and trying to ruin friendships and fighting was high school shit. He was twenty-four years old. Those two were older than him. It was time to grow up.

He knew if he told this to Nnoitra, the man would argue that he was an adult. He paid his bills. He had a job. He bought his own shit. Grimmjow would say he was growing up. He had a mortgage, a car payment and a credit card.

Being an adult was different from being a grown up. Grown ups had their shit together. At least that’s what Ulquiorra always thought. His father seemed like he was extremely grown up. Robert Cifer had the world figured out and had his ducks in a row. Abigail Cifer had been an adult, but had childish tendencies. 

Shaking his head, Ulquiorra pushed the thought of his parents to the back of his mind. Their anniversary would be coming up. It was hard to anticipate Christmas Eve without thinking about them. The anniversary of their deaths would be approaching too. That New Year’s Eve was horrible, watching the firemen hose down the burning car. He hadn’t been that old. 

Uncle Sousuke said it was a tragedy. His half-brother had died too young. 

He didn’t want to think about Aizen right now either.

Ulquiorra found a bench to sit on and stare at the water and the boats that rocked in the small marina.

*** 

Pikachu had won. Orihime sighed as she walked around the costume shop. She had been busy, and didn’t get out to shop until two days before Halloween, and all the cute costumes had been sold. She twisted her lips around as she browsed the store and texted Grimmjow.

\- Don’t bother looking high and low for a Charmander costume; Pikachu’s sold out. I’ll have to be creative.

She saw all kinds of slutty costumes. They were just nauseating to her. She didn’t need to be out in public with her ass hanging out of a cheap, poorly constructed polyester french maid costume. Then she turned the corner and stopped.

Of course that would be in stock. 

She shook her head and laughed, picking up the nun costume and turning toward the cash register. She could fashion a baby bump under the black robe with a throw pillow or something from home. Plus, she was pretty sure she would be the only one at Starrk’s wearing something like this.

***

Grimmjow sent his girlfriend a photo of himself wearing a Charizard onesie. It was pulled low over his eyes and he was smirking.

\- It's called Amazon. :D I bought this the night you suggested it. Gonna be calling Ulq soon about your meeting. <3 hope you’re having a good day beautiful.

When he put his phone away he looked at Ulquiorra.

  
“Come to Starrk’s with us,” Grimmjow said to him. 

“Why?”

“Because maybe you can hook up with some bitch and get whatever out of your system.” Grimmjow gave him a glance and picked up his coffee cup. Ulq was nice enough to meet him for lunch at the coffee shop, but they just got coffee there while Grimmjow drove them to a burger place.

“Orihime looks down on pumpkin spice, basic bitch women,” Ulquiorra replied. “I wouldn’t want to make her frown.”

The scoff was loud. “Tch! You think you have a chance with her? Honestly? You’re going to get your ass beat, Ulquiorra.”

The dark-haired man raised an eyebrow. “I’m not going to sleep with her. I don’t touch people you’ve fucked. I do enjoy her company. I enjoy her--I just enjoy being around her. Is it really that odd that I can be your girlfriend’s friend?

“I don’t know man. I’ve been fucked over enough by Nnoitra concerning females. Why not find your own woman?” Grimmjow asked. “I swear to god though, if you fuck her or touch her inappropriately...”

The threat hung there.

It made his friend narrow his eyes. “She likes my aesthetic, not me. So I think you’re safe concerning that. She’s… She’s special, Grimmjow.”

“Duh, I know that. Why won’t you meet with her?”

“I don’t want her to stop paying attention to me.”

When Ulq laid it all out there, he laid it all out there. Fuck. Grimmjow stabbed one of the french fries with a fork to dip it into the cheese sauce he ordered. “You’re talking about sharing her. I don’t share man. What’s mine is mine.”

Ulquiorra shook his head. “I don’t want her physically… At least I don’t think so.”

“You’re proposing a fucked up relationship. I don’t fucking share.”

“I’m not asking you to! I’m telling you I’m going to be her friend, whether you like it or not.”

Grimmjow’s lip curled at this information. Orihime could have all the friends she wanted… She wouldn’t want to be friends with Ulquiorra, though. “You can try, but like I said she wouldn’t give two shits about you.”

Ulquiorra gave him a small smirk. “If I can prove you wrong--”

“You can…I guess I’ll have to share but you’re not going to prove me wrong.”

***

“So I’m coming over to your place to get ready with Maddie and then we can all walk from there, right? Or can your boyfriend give us a ride?” Orihime’s friend, Zara, asked.

“It seems a waste to drive just a block and a half, Zar. How’s the hot chocolate?” Orihime asked her friend with the short brown hair.

“Oh, it’s really good. Not as good as you talked it up to be, but it’s really good,” she replied.

Orihime nodded. “Yeah, the guy who usually makes it for me is on vacation or something. Usually it’s better than this. I don’t even know what it is. I know they follow a recipe or whatever, but--”

“It’s missing the secret ingredient,” Zara interrupted.

Orihime looked at her critically. “And what is that?”

“Love, duh. That’s what all those commercials say.”

Orihime nodded slowly. “Right. That. Anyway, as I was saying, we can walk to Starrk’s.”

Zara rolled her eyes. “So anyway, Hime, tell me. What’s up with you and your boyfriend? Is it serious?”

Orihime took a long sip of her hot chocolate before answering. “He told me he loves me. He wants me to meet his mom at Thanksgiving.”

The other woman nearly spit the hot chocolate in her mouth out. After she managed to swallow, she coughed and said, “Hold on. He what?! You move fast, Orihime. Well done,” she said, looking sideways with a dubious expression.”

“What? Just because of what happened with Uryu you think I can’t keep a man?” Orihime snapped defensively. Usually she would have shrunk away from this but something about how Zara had said it touched a nerve.

The brunette knit her brows and looked at her. “Who? I never heard this story. Spill it.”

Orihime rolled her eyes and sighed. She explained how she dated this guy, Uryu Ishida, freshman year. How he told her he was falling for her and how he was her first. How he told her he was going to take her to Connecticut to meet his family. “And then, he pulled the rug out from underneath me.”

The other woman looked confused. “How?”

Orihime rolled her eyes and lowered her voice a bit. “We were in the middle of… you know. I finished, and then he just stopped and told me to get off, and that he wasn’t attracted to me and didn’t want me. Then he just left and that was it.”

Zara’s eyes widened and she nearly dropped her cup. “That dick!”

“I know. Apparently I made him gay,” Orihime said bitterly.

“No, that’s fucked up. Totally fucked up. I hope this Grimmjow guy is a better lover than he is.”

“Yeah, by a long shot,” Orihime said. “What about your new guy? Kayden, was it?”

Zara sat back and curled her lips. “Well, it was all wonderful and orgasm central until he found out I was on the shot. Then the condoms came off and now I never get off. He lasts three minutes if I’m lucky. It’s fucking frustrating.”

“Oh my god! So it’s not just me? My god I thought I was going crazy,” Orihime confessed, trying to speak in hushed tones. “It was mind-blowing the first month and then it was all, “Sorry Baby. I’m busy”, or a quick fuck that leaves me a sticky, frustrated mess.”

“Well cheers to solidarity,” Zara said, gently clinking her coffee cup against Orihime’s.

Neither woman paid any attention to the blonde woman slowly bussing tables behind them.

“So I guess Brynlee never got to that point with Grimmjow; she acted like he was god’s gift to women,” Zara said.

Orihime looked at her friend with a confused expression.

“Oh. She was seeing Grimmjow a while ago.”

Orihime spit out her drink into her cup. “WHAT? Are you telling me Bryn fucked my boyfriend!?” She hissed.

“Easy there, tiger,” the friend interrupted. “This was way back in summer.”

Orihime’s scowl was deep. “When?”

“Oh, between May and August, I think. I don’t think it was serious; just a booty call thing, but he must have broken it off for you,” the woman explained.

Orihime’s face turned patchy red. “That’s interesting.” He had been fucking her and Brynlee at the same time. “Well, look at the time, Zar, I gotta go. See you tomorrow!” Orihime said, gathering her stuff and leaving.

***

Grimmjow locked his car before he walked to Orihime’s place. He was wearing the Pokemon get up. The onesie he bought looked almost like the fire-breathing dragon. It even had wings and a tail. If he turned around fast enough he would whack someone with it. He was still shaking his head at Ulquiorra’s costume. The man had picked a priest outfit. It was a ludicrous idea. The guy didn’t believe in religion.

Ulquiorra continued on to Starrk’s when they reached Orihime’s building. Grimmjow jogged up the stairs alone and knocked on his woman’s door, shifting his weight around as he tried to keep the basketball shorts he wore underneath from riding up. “Hime, babe,” he called out.

“Come in, it’s open!” she called out. She had talked to her girlfriends about it over the past day and spent some time mulling it over. She and Grimmjow hadn’t been in a relationship over the summer. Not really. She was not allowed to hold his… _transgressions_ against him. It didn’t mean it didn’t bother her, but she just wasn’t allowed to say anything about it.

She had stuffed a small throw pillow, attached to her skin with tape, under her nun habit and tied the white waist belt high under her bosom in an empire effect to emphasize the small bump. She was just putting some dewey highlighter on her cheeks in an effort to make her face even more innocent looking than usual. She thought it was hilarious.

When Grimmjow walked in, he stopped short and stared at her. It was probably just a coincidence that his girlfriend was a nun while one of his best friends was going to be a priest. Those two probably planned this during their little coffee chitchats. “Hmph,” he said and shook his head. “The age old pregnant nun. Better be a joke because I ain’t ready for anyone to call me Daddy.”

Orihime turned around. “Not even me?” she asked with a smirk.

His eyebrows disappeared with surprise. The hell did she just say? Grimmjow reached down to his groin and adjusted himself. Just thinking about it… “Maybe, we can discuss it. You look innocent though,” he said with a slight growl to his voice.

“Good, that is the point,” she said, approaching him and giving him a squeeze around the middle, despite the pillow between them. “And is pregnant nun a cliche? Shoot. I thought I was being original. This costume didn’t come this way. You look cute,” she said, flipping her fingers on the hood part of his costume.

“Mostly frat boys with beards running around as pregnant nuns,” he commented. Grimmjow took slight offense at her cute compliment. “Charizard isn’t supposed to be cute. He’s fearsome. He’s bold and brash. He’ll kick asses and take names.”

“He’s adorable, and so are you, Grimmjow,” Zara commented with just a slight smirk as she came out of the bathroom in a sluttly cop costume. “Maddie is still screwing around in there. She’s on the phone with _Brynlee_ ,” she said as if it was an obnoxious thought.

“Jesus fucking Christ. What the hell are you doing here, Zara? Orihime? You’re friends--What the fuck? No.” Grimmjow scowled and huffed. It had been a mistake to fuck that one intern. She was desperate and clingy. She was dumber than Sue. He pulled his girlfriend out into the hall. “You’re friends with those people?”

“Yeah I’ve been friends with them since sophomore year,” she replied.

“Motherfucker.” It was just his fucking luck. “Look, you shouldn’t invite Bryn out. She’s a bitch.”

“She’s perfectly nice, Grimm,” Zara said.

“Private conversation,” he snapped, turning his head to look at the woman who rudely stuck her nose into his business.

“What’s your problem with Bryn?” Orihime asked.

Grimmjow shrugged. “She’s… she’s dramatic,” he said. He didn’t want to explain why he didn’t like the woman.

Orihime narrowed her eyes at him. He didn’t want to come clean? Fine. “Are you almost ready to go, Maddie?”

The blonde came out of the bathroom in a mermaid costume. “Yeah, he’s here, Brynn. No, I don’t think he wants to talk to you right now. Yeah… I mean, yeah. What do you mean? You better be coming. Okay bye.” She looked at the other three in the room. “Shall we?”

“You two go ahead,” Grimmjow said and glared at them. He waited until both women were out of the apartment before he looked at Orihime. “Bryn… She and I had a couple of hookups,” he finally said. “This was before I made my moves on you.”

Orihime rolled her eyes. “No it wasn’t.”

“How do you know? Ya’ll talking to each other? If you know Bryn then you already know what the fuck happened,” Grimmjow said. “Okay so I fucked her and you a couple of times in the same month. I’m with you now and I don’t see that changing any time soon.”

Orihime felt worse than she thought she would when he confirmed it. “I know it’s in the past,” she said quietly. “We should go.”

“Nah, we’re going to talk about this. I didn’t tell Bryn that I love her. I’ve never fucked her without protection, Orihime,” Grimmjow told her. He looked at her with pleading eyes although his mouth was pulled into frown.

“I know. It just feels shitty, that’s all.”

“Look, at the beginning of your internship it was just fucking,” he said, pulling her close. “I fell for you, not her. I don’t have eyes for anyone else and I’m not going to share you, despite what that asshole thinks.”

Orihime pulled back in his arms enough to look at his face. “What asshole?” she asked, her brows pulled into a confused line.

“Nothing. Ulq’s being dumb.”

Her confused look only deepened. She had the sense not to press the issue, though. “I don’t share, either,” she said cautiously, after watching his face for a moment.

Grimmjow let out a long sigh. “Good. Because I don’t want your friend. I love you, Princess.”

***

Of course the bar was busier than normal. Ulquiorra rolled his eyes before he scanned the crowd. He saw Grimmjow’s blue head and the hideous orange outfit he had on. He was surrounded by a gaggle of women. It made Ulquiorra amused to see the man looking miserable. 

He walked through the bar and ended up beside Grimmjow after pushing a sexy nurse and cop aside. “Hey man,” he said over the loud music. It was terrible.

“Hey,” Grimmjow replied back. “Princess, look who made it, Father Cifer is here to hear your sins.”

Orihime looked over and covered her mouth. “Oh my god,” she exclaimed, then she laughed at her accidental pun. “Holy shit, I can’t believe you wore that! It was a joke!” She looked absolutely tickled. “I was supposed to be Pikachu, but the Halloween store didn’t have anything good left, so here I am. Unreal!”

“I know,” Ulquiorra said with a sly smile. “I read your blog--”

“Hi.” A woman with brassy blonde hair interrupted him. “I’m Jess, one of Hime’s friends. You are?”

Ulquiorra looked her up and down in the french maid costume. “Hi,” he said in a curt tone.

“Hime! Who is your friend here? He’s hot!” This caused Ulquiorra to roll his eyes. 

Orihime gave her a tense smile. “This is Ulquiorra. He’s a--” she began before the blonde cut her off. “--client of mine…” she mumbled as she got talked over.

“Oooh, that name just rolls off the tongue. Hi, I’m Jackie,” a dark-skinned woman said. She was wearing some kind of sexy dress… More like slutty dress.

“I bet you can’t say it.”

Of course this woman had to be dumb. “Hmmm, I bet you I can say it perfectly,” she purred into his ear. 

“So, Grimmjow...” Ulquiorra said, trying to ignore the woman. “We could totally switch costumes.”

Grimmjow was about to laugh but again… Jackie butted in. “Oh, why would you trade with _him_? You look so good in that. Can I confess my sins to you? I’ve been naughty.”

  
“Oooh! I want a turn!”

Ulquiorra shook his head and caught Orihime’s eye. He mouthed the word, “Really?” to her.

Orihime gave him a half smile that didn’t reach her eyes and shrugged. She decided it would be impossible to talk to him, so she did something she had never done before. She texted him. She had his number in her phone ever since the logo project started, but she had never used it.

\- The sluts want what they want, I suppose. LOL.

She turned to Grimmjow then and gave him a genuine smile. “So, witch’s brew or candy corn shooters?”

“I don’t think the pregnant nun needs a drink,” Grimmjow said grabbing her by the hips. “I’ll take three witch’s brew.”

Ulquiorra glared at his phone before adding her information into his phone.

“Oooh who is Coffee Girl? There’s even a heart!” some female shrieked behind him.

He about had enough as he walked to the other side of Grimmjow close to where Orihime was standing. “I’m about to shank these bitches,” he muttered.

“Yeah, well watch out for Jackie. I snubbed her once,” Grimmjow said as Nnoitra came over with their drinks. He passed one to Orihime and then one to Ulquiorra before he took one for himself. “Happy Halloween.”

Orihime smirked. “Yeah. Jackie gets pissed if she doesn’t get her way,” she said, leaning back a bit behind Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. She didn’t want to attract Nnoitra’s attention.

Ulquiorra scoffed and shifted closer to Orihime. “Well she’s not getting her way tonight,” he said. “She’s the one who orders pumpkin spice muffins with a pumpkin spice cappuccino almost every damn day. You could have come as a slutty or sexy or trampy whatever like your friends. What made you pick a nun?” He threw back the green liquid and set the cup down.

“Orihime has class unlike her friends,” Grimmjow said quietly turning to smile at her.

“Yo! Ulq! Nice to see you out and about. What--Oooh someone’s been a naughty girl,” Nnoitra said collecting Grimmjow’s and Ulquiorra’s shot glasses. “I didn’t know ya’ll had a three way relationship. It looks like Ulq is with her more than your getup, Grimm. You guys want another round?”

Orihime glared at the bartender, making rare eye contact as she drank her disgustingly sweet shot as fast as she could. “Not another one of these, what is this? Also, not a three-way.”

“It’s a premixed bullshit that brings in money, Babe,” Nnoitra smirked. “It’s cool if it is, I don’t judge.”

“Get us three Deaths please,” Ulquiorra snapped at the taller man. 

As soon as Nnoitra walked off Grimmjow shook his head. “Fucking prick,” he said. “I should have came as a demon who knocked the nun up.”

That made Orihime laugh, and she put her hands on him; one on the fuzzy yellow belly of the costume and another on his back. “That would have been hot, but I like this fuzzy snuggle dragon,” she murmured to him.

Grimmjow chuckled a couple times. “What’s hot? Knocking you up?” he asked giving her a side-eyed glance and a wicked grin. “You already know I’m a demon, Orihime.”

“You two should get a room.”

“Why don’t you go get laid,” Grimmjow retorted as he pulled Orihime into his lap.

Orihime looked admonished. Her eyes rose to Ulquiorra’s for a moment and she mouthed, “Sorry.”

“Whatever, I’m going to mingle,” Ulquiorra said as he walked off. He made a beeline directly towards Orihime’s group of friends.

“Alone at last,” Grimmjow said and let his fingers drift up and down Orihime’s back.

She felt guilty, and she didn’t know why. She smiled at Grimmjow and pecked him on the lips before letting her eyes drift around the bar. Inevitably, they kept landing on Ulquiorra. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she had done something wrong. She watched him talk to Jackie and her other blonde friend, Tori. Her nostrils flared. Those two bitches would fight over him and then winner would gloat until they got bored. She leaned back against Grimmjow’s chest and got her phone out.

\- Careful. They are hungry like the wolf. Unless you’re into that kind of thing.

Three dots appeared on her screen then a message popped up.

\- And? So what if I am into that? It’s just pumpkin spice. Don’t bother caring okay? Grimmjow’s made it clear.

Orihime bit her lip and nodded, turning her phone off. She turned to her boyfriend and said, “Well, can’t say I didn’t warn him,” then kissed him. “After this drink do you want to go somewhere else? This place just kind of feels like it’s full of desperate people.”

He pecked her on the lips before grabbing the glass Nnoitra set down in front of him. For some reason it did and it didn’t bother him that Orihime was interested in Ulquiorra. It was a conflicting thing to feel. It bothered him because Grimmjow was afraid that karma would come and bite him on the ass. It didn’t bother him because Orihime said she loved him. He took a long sip then nodded. “Where do you want to go? I’m good to drive if you want to grab some dinner or go trick or treating,” he said with a flash of his eyebrows.

“I don’t care. We could get some dinner. After this drink I might need it,” she said with a chuckle. She snuggled into his chest. “I really do like this thing.”

“You want it after I’m done?” Grimmjow asked as he continued to rub her back. “I’m not gonna wear it again.”

Orihime sat up and turned in his lap to look at him better. “If I ignore the whole Pokemon thing, I rather like you with this mysterious hood. Maybe invest in one,” she said with a cheeky smile. If Ulquiorra could flirt with her friends, she could flirt with his.

What the fuck? What was that thought and where the hell had it come from? Begone, cursed thought, Orihime said to herself. She took a long drink and said, “I’m going to the restroom, I’ll be right back,” then set her drink down and stood.

Ulquiorra watched as Orihime stepped away from Grimmjow. He excused himself from the women who were trying to get into his pants. He followed her and saw as she went into the ladies room. He decided to wait in the small hallway for her. 

His phone decided to buzz. It was Grimmjow.

\- Remember… Touch her and my fists are going to talk to your face.

Oh fuck him. He was the one telling him to get laid.

Maybe he shouldn’t have drank whatever was in that shotglass and the absinthe cocktail. He never backed down from a challenge.

Orihime looked at herself in the mirror for a long time. Yeah, she was not as tall or athletic or glamorous as the other women she came with. She was cute though, wasn’t she? Like, not fantastic, but cute enough. Not disgusting. She needed to just accept her life as it was, didn’t she? Stop comparing herself to her bolder and more beautiful friends. Even though her boyfriend had fucked at least one of them, he loved her, right? He kept saying it… 

She sighed and her face fell. She couldn’t shake the dread in her gut telling her that this was all a lie. That Grimmjow would wake up and realize he’d made a mistake. Even worse was the thought that Ulquiorra would do the same and she’d have no one to talk to or feel connected to.

This was unproductive. She just needed to get out of this bar. It had to be a mix of Brynlee being there and the weird insinuation Nnoitra had made and the argument she had with Grimmjow earlier. It was all just making her paranoid. She nodded to her reflection and walked out of the restroom.

She walked straight into him. Ulquiorra pushed her back into the bathroom and locked the door. “Tell me just once you don’t think about me. Everytime I attempt to look at another woman you get… upset. Why?” 

She squealed and looked around, not sure what was going on or who he was at first. When she finally looked at his face, she looked like she had been caught off-guard. “I--- What?”

“Did you not hear me?” Ulquiorra asked walking closer to her. He was close enough that he could reach out and touch her face. “Tell me that you don’t think of me. I know you do. Your eyes follow me when I’m at work. They followed me around here.” He brought his hand up and the back of his fingers ghosted down the side of her face. “Why do you get upset when I want to fuck someone?”

“I… Of course I think of you. I never tried to pretend that I didn’t…” she furrowed her brows but did not recoil from his touch.

He took this as an invitation. Ulquiorra moved so that his body was against hers. He brought his face close to Orihime’s. “Answer the last question, Woman.”

Orihime’s blood was on fire. She could feel her pulse thrumming rapidly beneath the surface of her skin and other more tender places. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Her innocent-looking face turned pink. “I-- I don’t-- I don’t want you to stop talking to me.”

His nostrils flared and Ulquiorra leaned down, letting his mouth hover above hers. “I’d talk to you over any fucking female in this bar or this city, Orihime. Your boyfriend knows this, but I’m going to tell you. You can decide if you want to talk to me or not after I say it. I want you.”

“Ulquiorra,” she said, her face crumpling and turning to the side marginally. “I’m with Grimmjow. I can’t be disloyal,” she said, her lips trembling. Why was this bothering her so much? Why did she feel so conflicted? Why did she feel like she was letting her chance pass her by and she was mourning its loss?

“I never asked you to be.” He took a step away from her and sighed. He had to adjust himself. Damn his body for getting hard over her.

Only her eyes returned to him. She took a shuddering breath and said, “I’ll never stop talking to you unless you ask me not to.”

He gave her a nod. “You should go. I’ve kept you long enough.”

She couldn’t move at first. Her legs wouldn’t move. She couldn’t look away from him, either. She didn’t know where it came from when she said, “Anyone but Jackie. Try Brynlee, I heard she’s a slut,” before finally finding her legs and leaving the bathroom.

He followed after her through the hallway that led away from the bathrooms. “I’d much rather use my hand than sleep with them,” he commented in a quiet voice. “Have a good night, Orihime.”

She stopped. She didn’t know where the impulse came from, but she grabbed his hand and looked him in the eye, her thumb trailing along the surface of his palm for just a moment. “Don’t drive yourself home. Good night, Ulquiorra,” she said before leaving him.

***

Grimmjow sat at the bar and said nothing as Orihime returned to him. He kissed her and stood up. “Ready? Whatcha thinking for dinner? Wanna go to a pizza place that I like?” He suspected something happened while she and his friend were in that hallway but he had to give Orihime some trust in the matter. They were together. They were in love. He smiled at her. Ulquiorra was a rookie when it came to charming ladies.

Orihime took a deep breath. “Pizza sounds good. We might want to ask Starrk to keep an eye out for Ulquiorra, though, I think he’s drunk. He shouldn’t drive home. I told him that Brynlee would probably do it for him,” she said, looking a bit ashamed of herself. “Sorry, it was a cheap shot.”

“No worries, Orihime. Ulq will get home. He can call an Uber or something. Someone will deliver him to Coffee & Sadness,” Grimmjow said and grabbed her hand. “There’s this place… on the edge of Evanston that does an amazing chicken and spinach dip pizza.”

She grinned at him. “You’ve got my number, Grimm.” She stood on her toes and pulled his hood down to hide her face inside of it before she kissed him deeply. When she pulled back, she whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”


	10. Taste Testing

He still had flowers sent to Orihime at RBM.

Ulquiorra nodded to Orihime whenever she came into the coffee shop. He would make light conversation before handing her order off to someone else. They didn’t talk about what happened on Halloween, but he found out why he was so drunk. Nnoitra had given him a stronger than normal concoction and didn’t bother to tell Ulquiorra as he handed it off.

Like a dumbass he had drunk the entire glass in one go. No wonder he’d been drunk.

Grimmjow didn’t really say anything about it either. His friend was always smirking at him when they got together for a beer or a coffee, which didn’t happen much. The blue-haired man would tell him what Orihime was up to, or what their plans were, and how Ulq should hang out with them.

No thanks. 

He wasn’t an idiot.

He didn’t want to watch Grimmjow practically fuck his girlfriend while he was the audience. He went into Starrk’s a lot for the weeks leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. At least three times a week. It was comforting to be around other people who were just as miserable as him. Nnoitra leaned on the bar during a slow period and was chatting with him.

“Eyy, you look down man.”

“Yeah, a bit. Holidays always are a bitch. Birthday is coming up… Parents’ anniversary...” Ulquiorra took another sip of whiskey, swirling it in the glass.

Nnoitra nodded but Ulquiorra missed it. “Grimmjow’s woman ain’t looking your way...”

The scoff was loud. “She’s Grimmjow’s; not mine. She’s a friend, Nnoitra.”

“You ought to see your face. You believe the lies you tell yourself? Is she fucking both of you?”

Ulquiorra’s head swung back and forth. “No, you know Grimmjow doesn’t share. I don’t want her and she’s not disloyal to him. She has class, unlike some of the bitches you’ve drudged up to take home,” he stated in an almost bitter tone.

Nnoitra laughed. “Damn man, you got it bad.”

Ulquiorra shrugged and finished his drink. Maybe he did. Maybe he didn’t. It wasn’t anyone’s business.

***

Grimmjow sat on the other side of his boss’ desk. Kuchiki was out for blood today. “You’ve had more than enough time to close this deal. What is the hold up? What is Inoue doing? Is he preparing to say yes to a full or partial media package?”

“I have no clue, sir. Ulq is being difficult. He doesn’t want to see the proofs yet. He’s been yanking Orihime around about it, too.”

The businessman sighed. “I wanted this closed by the time we shut down for the holidays. It may not happen. Do you think it could be closed by then? If she can't satisfy him, I’ll let her go and you get demoted.”

Ouch. When Kuchiki went for the throat, he really went for it. “Got it, but you know how Cifer can be, sir.”

There was a nod from his boss. “How are things with Riruka? Everything with the Dollhouse Designs project going according to plan?”

“Absolutely. She’s happy with the logo and the media package. However, she wants to see more color options, and we’re having samples printed up,” Grimmjow said. “She also wants stickers, which we’ve designed.”

The man hummed and nodded. “You have that advertising convention coming up soon; first week of January right? You should take Orihime down there to see what it’s like.”

“Anything else?”

“That is all, you are dismissed Grimmjow.”

When he walked back into his office, he flopped down on the desk chair and sighed. 

When Kuchiki wasn’t riding his ass, work wasn’t stressful. He could see his girlfriend practically every day. They had sex everyday. Grimmjow had gone back to using condoms because he liked making Orihime come and he knew she didn’t like the mess. Everything was sunshine and rainbows.

Except those damn flowers continued to show up. Ulquiorra probably still eyefucked Orihime whenever he saw her. It didn’t bother him… Not really… Okay, he was lying. He wanted to tear off the other man’s head and launch it into the damn lake. The thought of Ulquiorra touching Orihime made him mad. The thought of the man fucking her--he couldn’t think of it. He turned irate and usually ended up at Starrk’s pouring his thoughts out to Nnoitra about the whole thing. It irritated him to no end. 

Nnoi told him this was karma.

Grimmjow didn’t believe in karma.

To make things more stressful… He told his mom he was bringing his girlfriend to meet her. Ellen Jaegerjaquez was critical of anyone he had brought home. Whatever Ma; your choice in men wasn’t the best. Grimmjow wasn’t knocking chicks up left and right. He had a great job with a nice benefits package and a 401K. He didn’t have to answer to anyone.

He sighed. It wasn’t even eleven am and he wanted a drink or sex; something to relieve the stress he was feeling.

***

Orihime’s finger hovered above the send button. What was she so afraid of? It was ridiculous. She needed to put her big girl panties on and get shit done.

  * Hey, it’s me. Can we meet at the shop or something and go over these proofs? I have finals coming up soon and I’d like to either get to work or shelve this project before I have to buckle down. LMK. Thanks,



Orihime

There, that wasn’t so bad, right? All that he could say was no and she would be back to worrying, though.

It wasn’t the only thing she was worried about. Things had been better with Grimmjow to a degree. He still had that wackadoo client riding his ass. He was going out without her a bit more. That was fine, though. They were at the office together almost daily and they always stayed the night together barring rare exceptions, but he seemed a bit distant.

And now she had this Thanksgiving thing in Highland Park to drive to. It was nowhere near as far away as Orihime had imagined. It would just be a day trip. For some reason, that kind of disappointed her. If she made a poor impression the first day, she wouldn’t have the next to try to make up for it.

She was sitting at her desk at Rotten and tapping on the side of her foot as she thought, when she overheard her name in the hallway. She got up and walked over to the filing cabinets that lined the wall, trying to overhear.

“Yeah. She stopped by and asked why  _ she _ was still working here when he got her fired,” Susan said in barely hushed tones.

Karen squealed in delight. “Wait, is this the same Brynlee that he took to the company Fourth of July Picnic?”

Silence at first. “And then he took her out with him on Kuchiki’s yacht. It was them, Kuchiki, his girlfriend or whatever and a couple people in accounting. Apparently she thought he was getting serious and then a month later, she was canned.”

“Harsh,” Karen said. “Do you know what happened?”

“Apparently he had thrown a project her way and she fucked it up, so it was legitimate. But he should have never given an intern a project like that,” Susan said.

Karen snorted. “Ha! Sounds like a pattern to me. Speaking of underqualified interns,” she paused and walked into the room.

Orihime dove her head into the filing cabinet, letting her hair fall over her face.

“Orihime! Can you run a coffee order? I need a-- What’s the flavor of the month?”

Orihime’s first bitter thought was that apparently  _ she _ was the flavor of the month. She pursed her lips and swallowed that thought down for the moment. She carefully raised her head and walked over, hoping that Karen didn’t see where she had been originally. “Um, it’s orange/cranberry,” she said, acting breathless, like she had just jogged over. 

“Oh, um, okay. Well, that sounds like a good muffin but a terrible drink. I will take a muffin then, and a pumpkin spice black coffee. Susan?”

“I’ll have a cranberry/orange cafe au lait and a peanut butter cookie.”

“Sure, okay, I’ll be right back.”

Okay. What in the ever-living fuck? Had Grimmjow just been test-driving both of them and then fired the rejected car? She was furious as she stormed into Coffee & Sadness and marched right to the counter. It wasn’t busy.

Rangiku looked at Ulquiorra who looked back at her. He then shifted his gaze to Orihime. The two had been standing against the back counter ribbing each other like they did at times. “Hey Orihime,” Ulquiorra said as he moved to the register. “What can I get for you?”

“I can’t even…” she sighed. “Sorry. Cranberry orange cafe au lait, peanut butter cookie. Cranberry Orange muffin, pumpkin spice black coffee. A fucking sedative for me,” she growled.

Woah. He took a step back. He had never seen the tiny redhead angry. He rang everything up and handed them off to Rangiku before his fingers flew over the screen. The printer started printing another sticker. “Come down to the pickup counter. I’ve got something for my favorite flavor tester.”

He turned away from her and began to make a latte but he added gingerbread flavoring to it with just a smidge of english toffee. He was still trying to work out December’s Flavor Of The Month. He added a tiny dash of cinnamon to the whipped cream on top and then brought it over to her. Rangiku hadn’t even begun making the other two orders. He slid the cup across the counter and then leaned against it. “You okay? You seem a bit… pissed off?”

“I can’t even begin to describe how I feel right now,” she muttered, shaking her head and picking up the cup. The smell hit her and she paused. She sniffed again and took a sip. This tasted like… It tasted like memories of the holidays she wished she had growing up. Of comforting fantasies and dreams. She closed her eyes and a hot tear slipped out of the corner of one eye. “This is really, really good, Ulquiorra,” she whispered, nodding but not looking up.

He wanted to reach across the counter and wipe the tear from her face. He couldn’t. He promised himself he would behave. “It reminds me of you,” he admitted. “You’re...”

She raised her eyes to him and stared, waiting for him to continue. When he didn’t, she asked him, “Ulquiorra, we’re friends, right?”

“Yeah, I would say we are,” he said giving her a hint of a smile.

“Can I ask you a favor? Maybe in your office?”

When he nodded and then turned, Ulquiorra saw Rangiku’s face light up like a Christmas tree. “Mind your business,” he hissed at her as he was going past. There was a giggle before Ulquiorra flipped her off. He waited for Orihime to reach him before he turned to the left and went down the hall then made another left at the door to the apartments. They passed the bathrooms and reached another door, which he held open for her. “Come in.” 

She walked inside and stood there, waiting for him to join her.

After a second of evaluating the situation he did and then closed the door. “What do you need?”

“Could I have a hug?” she whimpered, looking at his chest.

A hug? She wanted a hug from him? He took several steps towards her and took the cup from her hand and set it on the desk. The hand reached for hers again, his trying to match up their palms. Her hand was so small in his. He tried to calm himself as his hand ran up her arm and then pulled her closer to him. His other arm wrapped around her waist. “Anytime you want one, you can have one. Just text me and we can meet somewhere,” he whispered to her.

She leaned her cheek against his vest and breathed uneasily, putting her hands on the backs of his arms and holding firmly, letting her body melt into his. “Thank you,” she whispered, not letting go.

Ulquiorra didn’t let go either. But he did move the hand that was around her shoulders to tilt her head up. “You’re welcome. You never have to thank me for this,” he said. Again his face was dangerously close to hers. Fuck it. What was the worst Grimmjow could do to him? The worst Orihime would do was stop talking to him. It was a risk he’d take. He didn’t like her being angry or sad or needing hugs from him.

It was just his slightly dry lips brushing against hers. That was all it was and it left him wanting more.

There was a faint trace of tobacco on his lips. It made her feel safe. She wasn’t disloyal. Ulquiorra didn’t want her in that way. This was just one, lovely, generous, beautiful friend giving the other the gift of comfort. That’s what she told herself. She pulled her face away but did not let go, nestling her head under his chin. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” he asked, stroking her neck.

“Do you want to hear? He’s your best friend. I don’t want to poison the well,” she sighed.

Ulquiorra chuckled and gave her one of his rare smiles. “The well was poisoned years ago. Tell me what he did. I know he’s behind this. You wouldn’t ask me for a hug if it didn’t involve Grimm. Did he hurt you? Cheat on you?”

She told him about Brynlee. Everything that Zara had told her, what Grimmjow had admitted, and what she overheard Karen and Susan gossiping about. When she was done, she felt drained, and was practically slumped against him.

He listened. He put the puzzle together. He sighed when she finished. “Yeah. Grimmjow usually fucks both interns and then when he finds the one he wants to spend the summer with he gets the other one fired. Except that usually stops when the college kids go back to school. I was dating someone who worked at RBM and Grimmjow fucked her. As soon as I confronted him, he had her fired. She went back to New York and I’ve not talked to her since.” He talked quietly as he leaned against the desk, still stroking her neck. “He kept doing it too.”

Her throat felt tight. “He’s taking me to meet his mom this weekend,” her voice sounded like a rough rasp. “Does he do that to all of them, too?”

“No. Ellen would kick out more than half the women he’s fucked if they even set foot in her house. He took Nel home. She’s my cousin. After he took her to meet his mom… that’s when it happened.” Ulquiorra replied. He sighed. “I want to kiss you again, Orihime. I want to make this alright for you.”

Her face turned red. “He told me he loves me.” Her weight felt heavier.

“He told Nel he didn’t fall in love. He liked her… A lot. He adored her. Grimmjow stood her up one night--he had to work on something--and Nnoitra fucked her. Grimmjow walked into him and Nnoi’s apartment and saw it. I was there to witness that for a second before I retreated.”

She felt confused. What Ulquiorra was telling her gave her mixed signals about Grimmjow. It mostly felt like he was treating her like another in a line of heartbreak, but he didn’t fall in love with those women.

He said he was in love with her. He said it all the time.  _ “You and me, Princess. I want it to be you and me.”  _ He meant those words, right? He didn’t say that to all of them, did he?

What if this was all a big misunderstanding? What the hell was she doing here? Grimmjow would not forgive her if this got out of hand. She started to straighten up. “I’m sorry, I have no manners coming in here like this when you’re working.” 

“It’s okay. I own the place,” he said and smiled at her. “Have you been getting my flowers? I send one to you every day.”

Her eyes snapped to his. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish. “What-- You? But he…?” she looked down and around at the floor like someone might jump up from under the rug and tell her it was some kind of joke.

“I started sending them to you in October… the third, I think. I asked the florist to send a single flower every day you were there,” Ulquiorra said. He sighed and shook his head. “Grimmjow took credit for them, I know. He wouldn’t think of that kind of stuff on his own. He told me I made him look bad.”

She took a few steps backward and the back of her knees hit a chair, which she fell into. “What the hell? Why would he?”

“I was trying to charm you. I thought it didn’t work. Then I saw him in a store when I was out. He told me that you weren’t interested in me. He kept saying… He knows I want you. He knows I want to be your friend, and maybe more, but you’re with him and all I can be is your friend.”

It was then that it occurred to her. She was leading him on. “I’m sorry, Ulquiorra,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ve been hurting you, haven’t I?”

He shook his head. “No,” he stated. “I knew you were something I couldn’t have. I stupidly went for it. I can’t back down from a challenge. Grimmjow said I would never get you. I guess he’s right.” Ulquiorra gave her a tight smile before he reached beside him and handed her the lukewarm coffee cup. “You should probably get back. Susan and Karen need their carbs.”

She knew he was lying. She  _ had _ been hurting him, and now she was being dismissed. She couldn’t hold it against him this time. She nodded. “You are too good for me,” she whispered as she took the coffee and left.

Rangiku came to get him as soon as Orihime left with her items. “What happened? Did you have sex with her?”

“No. I value her too much to have sex with her,” he answered. “She’s unhappy with Grimmjow--”

“Ulq, she’s  _ been _ unhappy with him. Her and her little friend came in and were spilling all kinds of tea and throwing shade everywhere. You were off work that day… One of your mental health days,” Rangiku said. “He’s been fucking her without a condom. I’ve told you Grimmjow’s a minute man. He’s gone maybe seven minutes the longest with one… Maybe more. It’s not been over ten minutes.”

“Can you stop reminding me that you’ve fucked him,” he said through gritted teeth, balling his hands up. “Jesus, Rangiku.”

“Ulq. That was a long time ago. Shouldn’t you get over it?”

“Why? Tch. I’m going back to work.”

“Do you want to have sex?” she asked as he opened the office door.

Ulquiorra stood there for a moment. “No. Not with you. Knowing you...”

She laughed. “I wouldn’t blab about it. Besides the most action I’ve seen in months is making a coffee delivery across the street and caught the owner’s eye for five minutes before some woman came up to him. You should have seen the way she got shot down.”

“You’re such a diva, Rangiku. C’mon we’ve got a shift to close before I hand it over to Izuru.”


	11. Give Thanks and a Throw Down

Orihime stewed in everything she’d heard the following day. The morning of Thanksgiving found her no closer to any answers. Grimmjow showed up to pick her up at around noon. She had dressed nicely, a skirt and sweater. She had even bought a muffin basket the day before from C&S as a hostess gift for Grimmjow’s mom. She was still holding out hope that all of this was just people trying to ruin her relationship maliciously, and Grimmjow was everything he promised her he was.

She refused to think about that magical cup of coffee or the warm, dry brush of Ulquiorra’s clove and tobacco flavored lips.

“You’re quiet,” Grimmjow said as they drove. “I should have brought a bottle of wine. Today already is tense. I hope my uncle Fred isn’t drunk as fuck when we get there.”

“Sorry,” Orihime said. “I have a lot on my mind. I did pick up a muffin basket for your mom, though. You can say it’s from both of us,” she offered with a smile.

He glanced at her. “Really? You’re a peach,” Grimmjow smiled for a moment. As usual people were driving like idiots… He almost flipped off the person in the lane beside him. “It’s nice of you to do that Hime.”

She shrugged. “It’s the least I can do,” she muttered. “You’ve been busy lately, even more than usual. I figured you would not have time to think about it.”

“Things have been busy. End of the year is coming, Kuchiki wants accounts done. Speaking of which, have you talked with Ulq about his logo? I would like it done by December fifteenth,” Grimmjow said as he got off I-94 by the exit ramp. He turned right to make his way to the small city. 

Orihime scoffed. “No. I sent him a message to get back to me on Tuesday again, and he ignored it again. I even went to see him. He changed the subject to coffee and flowers,” she floated the partial truth past him. “I’ll try again,” she said, taking out her phone.

Grimmjow’s blue eyes glanced at Orihime and then back at the street he was now driving down. “He wants his logo to have something to do with coffee and flowers? He’s an oddball. I should take you past his childhood home.”

Orihime shrugged and made a noncommittal noise. “Is it anything special?”

“A four-million dollar coastal home on the lake is something special,” Grimmjow said. “The guy is a multimillionaire. He’s been one since the age or four or five. It’s like a six bedroom house? I don’t know. It’s massive compared to my mom’s little apartment.”

Orihime blinked. That didn’t make sense. That didn’t fit her view of Ulquiorra Cifer. “If that’s the case, why is he running day shifts at a coffee house?”

Grimmjow looked over at her as he stopped at a red light. “His parents died when he was young. Something went wrong with their car. They got in a wreck and it caught on fire. His uncle, who is a prick, brought him to the scene. So Ulq had to deal with that. He inherited his father’s fortune and continues to make money off his dad’s name. He told me that he doesn’t think he’s earned it and wanted to make his own way in life. He doesn’t drive. He walks everywhere or uses Uber or the train. He’s like a normal guy. He just became more guarded after… well… after the shit hit the fan.”

Orihime frowned. “What shit hit whose fan?”

“Ulq’s been to prison.”

“WHAT?” Her entire body whipped in his direction. Her voice was not overly loud, but sharp.

Grimmjow nodded as he started driving again. “Yeah, uh… He was seeing this person. Me and Nnoi swore they were female. Ulq thought they were too. Luppi is a guy. Ulq wasn’t comfortable with that so he broke it off and Luppi attacked him. Ulquiorra stabbed him. He did three months in and then spent a lot of time on probation. Luppi’s living a comfy life in St. Louis, I think.”

Orihime was shocked. She looked from Grimmjow to the street and back several times before asking, “But it was self-defense, right? I mean, surely a guy like Ulquiorra would never stab someone for no reason.”

“It was self-defense, but Luppi said it was a hate crime or something,” Grimmjow replied. He turned another corner and they found themselves in front of some townhouses. They looked like they’d seen better days. “Nnoi’s been to prison, too, but that’s not surprising. Look at the guy. Only thing I’ve gotten in trouble for was drunk driving when I was… Shit… That was almost ten years ago.”

“How old are you?” she asked. She knew, but the math didn’t add up.

“You’re asking that now? Twenty-six. Ulq’s about to turn twenty-five.”

“I know you’re twenty-six. Nnoitra told me. I asked because I’m trying to understand when you got a drunk driving. You must have just gotten your license.”

Grimmjow nodded. “Yeah, I had just gotten it, we took Aizen’s car with Ulq, Nel, and Nnoi and some other bitch and went joy riding. Are we going in? My mom is peeking through the window.”

“Oh, we’re here?” She didn’t realize; she had been too wrapped up in the conversation. “Poor Ulquiorra, though. Apart from the money, it sounds like his life has just been one double decker shit sandwich.”

“Eh, it’s had its moments. I can tell you that much. When he moved to Evanston to go to college, he was happy. He’s been running that coffee shop since his sophomore year but it was called something else, like Espresso IV or something,” he said.

She smiled at that. “Why did he change it?” she asked, obviously intrigued.

“Dunno, never gave us a straight answer. I mean I’ve speculated,” he said. “It could have been because of his parents. It could be because of a girlfriend he lost. It could because his existence is sad.” Grimmjow looked at Orihime and patted her leg. “Cmon, before I decide to take you to a hotel and have my way with you. You’re looking too cute today.”

She blushed at his words. He always made her feel like this when they were together. “Okay, okay, if I gotta go be social…” she teased, grabbing the basket of muffins and her purse and opening the door.

As soon as the couple walked into the door, Grimmjow knew his mom did not like Orihime. “What are those?” the older blonde woman asked, pointing at the muffins. “I’m doing keto, Grimmjow, and look at your damn hair. Didn’t I tell you to shave it and let your natural color come in? If God wanted you to have blue fucking hair, you would have come out with it and not blonde. I bet you still got that damn number tattooed--”

“Mom! Shut up. Damn. I came all the way up here and you’re already--”

“Ungrateful brat,” the woman said and huffed her way back to the kitchen. 

Grimmjow sighed. “That’s my mom.” 

Orihime’s face was white. Her fingers had a death grip on the basket of muffins and she was breathing almost erratically. This woman reminded her of her mother; the one she had not seen since her brother’s funeral. She was mentally transported right back to that day for a moment. She wanted nothing more than to get out of that apartment and never come back.

“Come the hell in and quit letting the damn warm air out! I’m not heating the outside up!” The woman screamed.

Grimmjow slammed the door shut after moving Orihime out of the way and walked into the living room. There were several people sitting around. “Hime, this is Fred, Martha, Janice and Tony. Martha is my mom’s cousin and Janice is her sister. There was another aunt but she’s fucked off--”

“Don’t say that about Nancy,” Grimmjow’s mother said. “Who is this? Ain’t the green-haired trollop you brought around the last time.”

“This is my--friend, Orihime. We’re seeing each other. I thought I’d bring her up to meet you.”

Her eyes met his for a moment. What the hell was going on here? Why was he calling her his friend? She said nothing to the people in the living room, just nodded silently without even a smile, trying to make herself small and disappear.

“I guess put the muffins on the table. Someone can get fat off eating them.”

“Now, now Ellen. Be kind,” the woman named Martha said as she got out of the chair and shuffled over to the kitchen. “Let me help you. You’ve been at this for days.”

“How can I be kind when he’s bringing some woman in here, looking like she’s about to get knocked up. Look at her skirt! It’s fucking cold outside--”

“C’mon Hime,” Grimmjow said. He took the muffins from her and set them on an end table before he walked to the front door then opened it.

Orihime made no arguments. She walked out of the door and kept going. She didn’t stop until she was at the car door.

There was some yelling and Grimmjow slammed the door before he unlocked the car. His footsteps were angry as he stomped down the sidewalk and got into the vehicle. He just muttered to himself as he started the car.

Orihime slid into her seat and put her seatbelt on. She gripped the hem of her skirt and unconsciously tried to pull it down past her knees. Her throat was burning and the backs of her eyes were starting to sting. She felt completely humiliated and traumatized.

The entire trip back to Evanston was quiet, with Grimmjow driving aggressively. He was mad. It was one fucking holiday that he wanted to show off his lady and his mother had ruined it. He had ruined it too. He should have told the woman that it was his girlfriend and not just a friend but he knew his mother would freak out more. “You want me to drop you off at home?” He asked as he entered the city limits.

She nodded rapidly, finally clearing her throat and whispering, “Yes.”

“I’m really sorry about that Orihime. I thought… She was obviously drinking or something. Maybe it was stress. I have no fucking clue. She’s batshit crazy,” Grimmjow said. It only was less than ten minutes later that he was pulling up to her building. He put the car in park and looked at her. “You want me to come up or...”

She sat there, breathing irregularly; pulling a breath and letting it all out quickly, and then pausing before doing it again. She didn’t know what she wanted. “If you want to, it’s fine. If you have work or something it’s okay,” she finally murmured, looking at the dashboard.

“I didn’t plan on doing work today, but that’s a good idea. I can have shit done before I meet that bossy bitch again,” Grimmjow said, pondering this idea. “I’ll make this up to you. We’ll go somewhere fancy for Christmas, because I am not going back there. I’ll see you this weekend maybe, or on Monday, okay?”

She nodded. Her head was hurting. Her heart was hurting, too. She just wanted to get into bed and not leave for a couple of days, maybe. “Okay. Don’t work too hard, alright?” she said, offering him a sad smile.

He leaned over and gave her a kiss. “We can do our own thing next Thanksgiving,” he said with a nod.

Orihime nodded, leaning her forehead against his lips. “Sounds good. I’ll talk to you later.” she said, before sitting back and opening the car door.

“Hey!” he said just before she closed it. He leaned over and looked at her. “Make sure you call Ulquiorra and get him to commit. Okay?”

She felt like he had slapped her in the face. She was sure he was going to tell her he loved her, but this veiled threat is what she got. The heat in her face wrapped around her head quickly, fading into the back of her ears before it disappeared. “I’ll do that after I calm down,” she said. “Don’t worry about it. If I can’t get him to agree I’ll take responsibility and resign. I have finals to concentrate on anyway.”

“Orihime, my job is on the line, so get it done,” he said. Grimmjow sighed. “I’m gonna go so I can hopefully salvage it. I’ll call you.”

“Okay. Good luck,” she said, thinking more along the lines of _fuck you._ “I love you,” she said as she closed the door.

Grimmjow blew her a kiss before he took off.

***

  * Dinner. December 11th. I’ll pick you up or we can meet at C&S. Dress is fancy-ish. Bring your work.



That’s what he looked at when he was typing out the text message on the day after Thanksgiving. He had given up. Orihime was with Grimmjow and it was time to hang up the torch he had been carrying for her since she walked into his coffee shop with her gaggle of friends. He’d been carrying it for longer than that. Ever since he wanted to change the name of Espresso IV to Coffee & Sadness. She was behind the URL. 

Instead he deleted the text message and decided on a different approach.

  * You busy?



Orihime had been busy the previous afternoon and much of the night, sobbing into her pillow. She looked like a wreck. When she got Ulquiorra’s text that Friday, she took a couple of minutes to think it over.

He had offered her comfort. He had offered her friendship. He had said she wasn’t hurting him. 

She needed someone. She needed to finish her project. She needed someone and some liquid to stop the sounds of Ellen Jaegerjaquez and Louise Miller from ringing in her ears over and over and over again. She needed the words “Friend that I’m seeing” and “My job is on the line, get it done” to stop rolling through her head like a damn parade. 

  * Wanna have a drink tonight?



Ulquiorra was surprised to see the message pop up. He smiled. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to not be distracted by anything else. It wouldn’t be proper to invite her over for a couple of bottles of wine.

  * Sure, I can get us some wine and we can have a drink at your place or do you want to meet at Starrk’s? 
  * Or you can come here. 
  * That sounds really creepy of me.



Orihime really didn’t care. 

  * I live very close to Starrk’s. Let’s go there.



He sent her a reply with what time would be good for him. So when the clock struck at that time, he was standing outside of the bar in a black peacoat with a white scarf wrapped around his face and a black winter hat on his head. His hands were shoved into the pocket of his coat.

She came trotting over just a minute later, also bundled up in dark jeans, a white parka, and a black beanie with a faux fur pompom on top and little silver sequins on the cuff. “Did I keep you waiting?” she asked as she reached speaking distance. Her voice sounded nasal.

“I’ve been here freezing my ass off for like two minutes,” he said and touched the ball on top of the hat. “You look adorable. Where’s your scarf? You’re going to freeze.”

“I don’t have one,” she answered honestly. “Let’s go inside, my ass is frozen.”

“You sound like you’ve got a cold,” Ulquiorra said as he opened the door and let her in first. It was nice and warm inside the bar. “I’ll wait until we get a table or a seat to talk about what I wanted to talk to you about.”

She nodded. “I don’t have a cold. I’ve just had a rough couple of days,” she said in a weary tone as she entered the bar.

“I’m sorry. I’d give you a hug if you want one but considering… Anyway. How was Highland Park?”

“Awful,” she said, unzipping her parka and folding it over her arm before taking off her hat and shaking her long hair out over her black sweater. “We were not there for long. How was your Thanksgiving?”

“I made myself a chicken breast and asparagus with cranberry orange relish. I made some rolls. I had peaches and gorgonzola for dessert,” he said with a smile. He unwrapped his scarf then removed the hat, shaking out his own hair. It was a rare thing he let it out of its bun. He unbuttoned the coat to reveal a green and white striped t-shirt. “I was going to text you back but I figured you were being domestic with Grimmjow.”

“No, he dropped me back home before two o’clock and went into the office,” she said without inflection. “I should have called you up. Your dinner sounds much better than the bowl of oatmeal I had,” she said with a dry smile.

When they got to the bar, Ulquiorra looked around for Nnoitra. “Yo, Tier, is he here tonight?”

“Break.”

“Uh, what do you want Orihime? It’s on me, so… I’ll have a double Maker’s Mark, please,” he said to the blonde working behind the bar.

“The usual for me, Tier. Thank you,” she said to the woman and then faced Ulquiorra. “Thank you,” she said with a bit of a lilt, as though to differentiate him from the waitstaff.

“My pleasure,” he smiled. “Pick a seat.”

His smile made her do a double take. “Uh, okay,” she replied in almost a whisper, as she lead the way to one of the back tables that she liked surrounded by velvet sofas. Starrk had lit the place well. The table was well-illuminated, but the patrons sitting in the seats were cloaked in dim light. It allowed for private, intimate conversation or just private solitude. Either way, Orihime liked it. 

Ulquiorra sat down beside her and took off his coat and laid it on his lap. He put his phone on the table in front of them and then sat there for a moment while he tried to think of what to say.

“I’m glad you texted me today,” she started. “I was starting to feel alone in the universe.’”

“I don’t want you to feel like that, Orihime. Would you have dinner with me on the eleventh? It’s a fancy place. I’d like to see the proofs you have for me,” he said turning to look at her.

She raised her brows in surprise. “I’d be happy to. Why the eleventh, though?”

“It’s a day I have open. I mean I could do it on the first but it’s my birthday. I’m sure you’d like me to finally sign off on your designs for me,” Ulquiorra replied. He let his knee touch hers, nudging it.

She smiled at the gesture. It was cute. “I would. And that is a good date for me, too. It’s the day of my last exam for this semester. Anyway, what are you doing for your birthday?” she was genuinely curious. He seemed reclusive. In fact, all signs pointed to Bruce Wayne. What did Batman do for his birthday right after his solo Thanksgiving?

“Uh, staying in. I have to get ready for December. Social media posts need to be made. Uh, menu needs to be changed. I’ve got to figure out the hazelnut hot chocolate,” Ulquiorra said.

“Ooh! Ooh! I volunteer as tribute!” she teased, raising her hand and leaning back into the sofa. “Hazelnut hot chocolate… Mmmmm,” she closed her eyes and smiled, letting her head loll to the side before she opened her eyes again to look at him. This was nice. He was nice. “I thought you said that Minter is coming?”

He nodded, the smile still on his face. “Mint is the flavor of the season along with eggnog. Gingerbread and hazelnut are flavors of the month,” he stated. “January is white chocolate and vanilla. I have this all planned out.”

“You are a pro,” she said with a nod. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. His smile was intoxicating. She smiled back at him and said, “You are a very pretty man. Is it weird for me to say that? I don’t care, I’m weird.”

A chuckle left Ulquiorra which turned into a short burst of laughter. “Want to come over Sunday night? We can test stuff and you can critique it, since you are my favorite coffee girl.”

“Oooh,” she cooed in a joking way. “Are you inviting me to your birthday party? And where, praytell, is my stall in your stable of coffee girls? I mean, the favorite gets the big one, right?” she said in good humor.

He was entranced by her. “It’s in my bedroom,” he murmured and then blushed after he realized what he said. Ulquiorra cleared his throat and took a sip from the glass a waitress put in front of him. His face was on fire.

Orihime picked up her drink and tilted it in her hands for a minute, letting the awkward moment pass before she finally brought her glass over to his and clinked it before bringing it to her mouth. “To your health, Ulquiorra. And to finally moving forward with this.” She meant the project, although she didn’t specify. And as she took a sip, she realized she didn’t really care how he took it.

“Right,” he said, taking another drink. “So, um, it’ll be just you and me, but I usually make myself matcha cheesecake or some kind of cheesecake for myself for my birthday. It’s kind of been my thing. I’d be willing to share.”

Orihime’s brows tented and mouth watered. She licked her bottom lip and then said, “Are you kidding me? I am so there for this,” she said, the easy smile returning to her lips. She took another sip of her glass and looked straight ahead for a minute, then turned back to him. “You know, I don’t mind promoting you on my site, too. Anytime. You can just send me whatever social media blast and I’ll pass it on. I’ll keep adding my playlists and whatever and also…” the thought occurred to her almost randomly as she thought of her blog posts, and how many of them had featured sketches of flowers lately. “I never thanked you for the flowers. Thank you.”

“I know you liked them. I saw the drawings. Also, if you’re going to advertise for me, let me pay you for it. Name your price. You wouldn’t believe how many people I got from Chicago and all the way in Wisconsin to try the peanut butter hot chocolate,” Ulquiorra said. He reached out and tucked some stray hair behind her ear. “So be at my place around five on Sunday? I’ll make you dinner. We’ll drink coffee and eat junky sweets.”

She blushed. “Can I bring anything at least? It is your birthday.”

“I’m a humble man that doesn’t need much. If you want you can surprise me. I like wine and absinthe and whiskey.” He wanted to tell her to just bring herself and maybe an outfit for the next day but he didn’t dare.

Her mind was racing now. Booze or a bottle of wine? Easy. She grinned as she imagined what else she could give him. Drawings or playlists or a favorite book or DVD, perhaps. Her heart was bursting with ideas and imaginings. “I’m looking forward to this,” she said.

Ulquiorra’s smile got brighter again and he bit his lip. “Well now that you agreed to it, I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never really looked forward to my birthdays. They were just another day.”

“Oh, oh no, my dear,” she said with a closed-eyed headshake and a superior kind of affectation. “Matcha cheesecake is not just another day. That is magic, for sure.”

“Tell me what else you like or love,” Ulquiorra said. He was watching her mouth with rapt attention. He looked at the line of her jaw. Dammit. He shook his head. It wouldn’t do to get drunk and try to hump her leg. He was sure she had enough of that with Grimmjow.

“I love coffee. No, let’s be real. I love the coffee that you make. And the hot chocolate. What else…” she said, looking up at the medallions on the ceiling and tapping her chin. “Oh, I love sad music. I love the sound of the rain and short, unpretentious poetry. I love Michael Keaton as Batman. What do you like or love?” she asked, smiling at him.

He wanted to reach over and kiss her. Instead he took another drink. “I love the smell of coffee beans grinding. I love the smell of baked goods. I love how you remind me of warmth even though it’s freezing outside. I love the way snow falls at three am on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I love how the city is silent at night when I can’t sleep.”

Her eyes gentled and she looked him in the eye for a long moment. She heard every word he said. She hadn’t missed it. She wanted to continue this. “I love the smell you bring into the shop after you come back from a cigarette break. It reminds me of my aunt. It reminds me of being protected.” Her face suddenly crumpled. “I hate the sound of women saying hurtful things to children, or lashing out to hurt someone unprovoked.” Her jaw clenched and her eyes watered a bit. “I hate my mother.”

Ulquiorra leaned close to Orihime so he could whisper into her ear. “It’s valid. I love watching you smile or laugh. I love how you look at me. I dislike how Grimmjow makes you unhappy these days.”

She sighed. He was not wrong. Her fingertips played with each other on her lap a bit. “I hate how much I want to believe him,” she murmured.

For a moment his nose nuzzled her ear. “You deserve to be happy, Orihime,” he breathed.

She shivered. She wanted to believe him. Her heart tore in two and part of it was in Grimmjow’s hands, the other in Ulquiorra’s. That was shitty of her. She was a shitty person, though. Her mother had always told her so. “I don’t. I don’t deserve anything good,” she said quietly, closing her eyes.

From a dark corner of the bar, Nnoitra sat taking photos of the two before he moved and took some more from a different angle. Twenty minutes later Ulquiorra came up to settle his monthly tab and then he went back and motioned for Orihime to follow him. Nnoi didn’t give a fuck if he was on the clock or not. He slipped on his leather jacket and followed the two.

He wasn’t surprised as he watched Ulquiorra throw his head back and laugh at something. Then he recorded a video. Ulquiorra had walked Orihime to her apartment. They were talking. She nodded her head. Ulquiorra and her went into the building.

As he headed back to Starrk’s, Nnoitra sent off several text messages with attachments.

***

Grimmjow fumed. “WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?” he said as he open then slammed Nnoitra’s apartment door shut. The place was a shithole, so of course the door didn’t latch. “What the fuck, Nnoi?”

The tall man grinned as he sucked back a beer. “Hey man… He comes in all the time boohooing about how he wants to dick her down and how in love he is,” Nnoitra lied. “Ain’t my fault ya woman is playing you both.”

“What? No, you’re fucking wrong!”

“I saw the entire thing. He was kissing on her neck. I think in one of those photos, her hand is under his coat. Probably working him up. I bet you they’re fucking right now.”

Grimmjow wanted to rip shit up. He wanted to beat the crap out of Ulquiorra. He wanted to make Nnoitra swallow his own damn teeth. “Hime wouldn’t do me like that. She worships the ground I walk on.”

“Looks like she’s about to worship Ulq,” came the reply. Nnoitra smirked. “Anyway, they’re having dinner soon, I think? That’s what Cassie said after she cleaned off a table close by. He’s probably taking her to that one fancy place with the tiny portions and overpriced wine. You know… the one he took us too that wouldn’t let me in without a tie?”

The blue-haired man nodded, his lip curling. He could not believe this. This was bullshit. He had told Ulquiorra to stay away from her. “Give me a fucking beer. I’m gonna call Riruka after this and see if she wants to have dinner with me the same night.”

***

“So you’re a student?” Ulquiorra asked as he looked around the tiny apartment. He smiled as he picked up a drawing of a creature that looked like it was a cross between a deer and a horse. “Huh, I thought you were just a part-timer at RBM.”

“No, I’m a senior at Northwestern. I’m a fine arts major with a minor in creative writing. Grimm mentioned that you went to school here, too,” she asked, hoping he’d fill in the details.

He gave her a nod and picked up a drawing of a bat. “Yeah. I, uh, I went to Northwestern. Majored in business and accounting. It just made sense. I didn’t have any artistic ability. I’m ruled by common sense and logic. I love reading, though, and baking. I should have become a chef.”

She stretched her back a bit and smiled. “I’m glad you didn’t; we probably would have never met.” Her stomach growled. They had met earlyish and she hadn’t eaten. “Are you hungry? I have some ramen or some premade meals in the freezer. I didn’t eat anything tonight.”

He glanced at her and shrugged. “I can order something. You like chinese? There’s an indian place that’s really good around here,” Ulquiorra said, putting both of the pieces of art down and walking to a different area of the apartment. Her desk was littered with more drawings and illustrations. “Is this… Oh shit… That’s Rangiku. Wow. If she saw this she’d be begging you for it. Very shallow that one. Well, she can be.”

Orihime chuckled. “Why don’t you give it to her? I’m done with it. Like I said, I like watching people. I’ve watched her. Also…” her stomach rumbled again. “Indian sounds amazing right now.”

“And inflate her ego? I have a hard enough time trying to manage it,” he laughed. A flash of green caught his eye and he moved the drawing on top. It showed a tiny bat figure with huge green eyes. It almost looked like him. He smiled before turning to face Orihime. “What’s your poison? Their curry is okay. The tikka masala is awesome.”

“Butter chicken is my jam, homes,” she said and shook her head, snickering at herself. She was so dorky, she couldn’t handle herself sometimes.

“You’re adorable.” Ulquiorra smiled at her before he pulled his phone out and looked through the contacts tapping on the one that said, Depak’s. “Hey, this is Ulquiorra Cifer. I’m good. I need an order of butter chicken… Orihime? Do you want jasmine or saffron rice?”

“Jasmine, please,” she answered.

“Jasmine rice and the tikka masala… lamb. Yeah, saffron. Um also let me get some samosas. Uh huh. Just run the card,” Ulquiorra said as he paced the floor. “Um, no I’m at… Address?”

“Three three nine Howard.”

“Okay, see you guys in twenty.”

He ended the call and then put the phone back in his pocket. “Thanks for letting me come up,” Ulquiorra said to Orihime. “I know I said I wanted to walk you home, but I wanted to see where you lived and stuff.”

She smiled at him and said, “Well, thanks for picking a day when it wasn’t a total pigsty in here. I had just cleaned the bathroom on Thanksgiving morning. Anyway, my work is always all over the place so you would just have to deal, regardless.”

“This place is better than the area Nnoi lives in. His apartment is always a mess,” Ulquiorra commented. “Grimmjow has a cleaning lady come in once a week. Mine only comes in twice a month to dust and change sheets.”

“Well, _I_ am my cleaning lady, and let me tell you, I do not recommend her. She sucks at it.”

Ulquiorra laughed. “So uh, back to the college thing. I pretty much fast tracked myself to be done in three years but I got into trouble and had to take a summer semester off. It screwed up my plans big time. I use my degree everyday, though.” 

Orihime’s grin tightened up and her cheeks dusted a bit pink, remembering what Grimmjow had told her about Ulquiorra’s stint in prison. He shouldn’t have told her. It wasn’t his past to share. Now she felt a bit awkward and wondered if she should say that she knew. No, she decided. If he wanted her to know he would tell her himself. Otherwise it was not her business. Speaking of business, “I can see that you do. Coffee & Sadness is a tight ship and it is just getting more and more successful. You should be proud of yourself.”

There was a slight smile as he sat down in her desk chair. “I am at times. Other times… Not so much. You look like you want to say something or ask me a question, I can’t decide which.”

She was caught out. “Um, no, it’s just… Grimmjow has a big mouth,” she said, twisting her mouth to the side and twiddling her fingertips.

“That’s nothing new.” He gave her a glance and sighed. “I got into trouble. I did time for it.”

“He said,” she nodded and sighed, sitting on her bed and leaning over one of the small folding tables she had set up adjacent to it. She picked up a watercolor she had done of Grimmjow and Ulquiorra walking next to each other in black suits and glanced at it for a moment. “He talks about you a lot. I don’t blame you, by the way.”

“You don’t blame me? What do you mean?”

“For defending yourself.”

Ulquiorra nodded and looked at the wall. “I probably should have handled the situation better. I panicked. It got twisted and screwed up.”

He looked upset to her. “Hey, it’s in the past,” she said softly. “My past is no lollipop parade either,” she offered.

“You’re a… You’re a kid. At least you look like one.”

She smiled. “I’m twenty-two. You’re not that much older than me.”

He stood and walked over to where she sat, then took her hand and pulled her up. “Three years,” Ulquiorra said.

She looked at him, a bit confused by his gesture, but nodded. “Three years. Almost. We have a birthday to celebrate before then. Two years plus, for now.”

“I don’t have any parents for you to meet.”

She felt her face get a bit hot. “Me either. Well, not that I would let you meet. Not by choice, anyway.”

Ulquiorra put his hands on her waist. Why was he feeling like this? Why was he doing this? Orihime seemed to like him, but not in the way he liked her. He bit his lip and looked down at her before he swallowed.

She looked down at the hollow of his throat and her face turned red. She felt her body respond to his touch and she knew this was a dangerous game to play. She did not want to lose Ulquiorra. She did not want to cheat on Grimmjow. She did the only thing she could think to do to salvage this situation. She put her arms around his neck and held on tightly, pressing her cheek to his shoulder so that her face was looking out toward the room instead of under his chin.

He sighed and hugged her tightly. “Thank you.”

“For what?” She didn’t let go.

“Being my friend? Grimmjow said you wouldn’t give me the time of day, but you have.”

She scoffed. “Grimmjow doesn’t know me--” she cut herself off. She felt a stinging behind her eyes. She had to swallow hard and it tasted bitter as she realized that her off-the-cuff statement was actually very true. He knew nothing about her. He never asked. He knew how her body felt. He knew how she fluffed his ego. He knew how she looked and smelled and tasted. He knew her manners and her kindness, and how she would bend over backwards to help him, but he did not really know her. He never asked about her family or her past or her dreams. She sighed. “Only the surface, I guess. He makes a lot of assumptions.”

“That’s Grimm for you,” he murmured.


	12. Happy Birthday Cheesecake

Sunday came and Ulquiorra was nervous. He made lasagna. He had an artful salad with microgreens and different vinaigrettes. He even had a bottle of red wine out. He paced the area between the kitchen and the front door, trying to calm the nerves. 

He was so pathetic, he even dressed up for her, wearing a tie and everything.

She had spent Saturday scraping together what she could to give him a birthday gift to repay all the kindness he had shown her over the past several months. Comped coffee and food and flowers and hugs and company were beyond her means, so she had to improvise. She worked on a special project for him and then let it dry before she went shopping. She picked up a bottle of wine; it was cheaper than booze. She got a card. She even got a cheerful mylar balloon. 

On Sunday she got ready to go over to his place. She didn’t want to seem like she was trying too hard. She wore a white skirt and a pink, slightly oversized sweater that kind of fell off one shoulder slightly. She wore gray boots. It was cute and birthday-ish, she thought. She got her little basket of goodies wrapped up and ready to go and arrived at Coffee & Sadness exactly at five o’clock.

The entrance to the apartments buzzed as Ulquiorra unlocked it from his apartment. He liked having high tech stuff like the security system that was installed. He watched as Orihime pulled open the door and walked inside. All he had to do was wait for her. So he did. 

Orihime looked down and checked her clothes and smoothed out her hair before knocking on the door. She was nervous. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

He gave a sigh before opening the door and looking out. “Hi,” he said. Ulquiorra could have rolled his eyes at himself. That was a lame greeting.

It was just fine to her. She grinned. He looked cute. She pulled the balloon out from behind her back and put it between them. “Happy birthday, Ulquiorra!” she cheered, holding it out to him. There was also a single daisy in the hand that held the string.

His face broke out into a smile and he took the balloon and the flower. “I’ve never had a woman give me flowers before. Thank you.” Ulquiorra blushed and moved so that Orihime could come inside. “You can put your coat and things on the couch.”

“Are you a shoes or no shoes house? You never know,” she said, still standing near the door.

“The floors are heated concrete, so if you want to run around barefoot or in socks, it’s fine. Esme waxes the floors once a month, so… Your comfort is important.” He looked down at his own socked feet.

She smiled and leaned over to unzip her boots, holding the hand with the basket out to the side for balance as she did. She wasn’t especially graceful as she wobbled unsteadily, but eventually got the job done. When she stepped out of them she walked into the living room and took a deep breath as she took her coat off. “Wow, it smells amazing in here. What did you make?”

He shrugged. “I made lasagna and salad. Cheesecake and a sampling of delights for next month.”

She grinned. “Do you want to do presents now or later?” She was excited.

“After cake.”

A nod. “Okay, fine,” she said, only mildly disappointed. She set the basket down and smiled back in his direction. She wasn’t sure what to do now.

“I spent hours slaving over a stove. I want to see your face when you taste the food,” he said and took her hand, leading her around the massive bookcase that separated the living area from the kitchen and dining area. Ulquiorra had set the table for two. The dark wood table held their plates, the salad bowl, wine glasses, and the dish that housed the pasta. There was still steam rising from it. “Pick a seat. I’ll get the wine and I’ll make a compromise. After we eat this, I’ll open your present, okay?”

Her eyes squinted shut and she blushed. He must have noticed her anxiousness. “You’re the birthday boy. We’ll do what you want. Also, _hnngh_ ,” she whined, looking down at the table and trying not to drool. “You’d think it was my birthday. I can’t promise you I’ll be ladylike for this.”

“Should I grab extra napkins or paper towels?” he asked, smiling at her for a second.

She looked at him with a dead serious expression for a moment and nodded. “I think it’s in both of our best interests.”

He walked over to the kitchen area and grabbed the opened wine bottle and the roll of paper towels. Ulquiorra set both on the table and pulled a chair out. “Sit, please.”

“Yessir,” she said, taking the seat and grabbing the cloth napkin he had set out and unrolling it, setting it in her lap.

He passed her the salad bowl first before he cut the lasagna. “You’re not on a diet or anything? I made a lot.”

Orihime shook her head. “Nope. Although apparently I should be. At least according to certain banshees.”

A scoff left him. It was probably Grimmjow’s mother who said something. She was a heartless bitch. “You’re gorgeous the way you are. Hand me your plate and I’ll give you some of this,” he said.

She did, trying not to blush too hard at the compliment. She watched in silence as he dished up the lasagna and passed her plate back, then dished up his own.

After he sat down he unrolled his own napkin. “Go ahead and enjoy,” Ulquiorra gestured.

She smiled and tucked her fork into the lasagna and blew on it before taking a bite. Oh. Dear. God. It was perfect. Just enough cheese. The perfect amount of garlic and pepper. She leaned back into her chair and moaned with a closed, full mouth, as her eyes fluttered shut. When she finished chewing, she opened her eyes slowly and smiled. “Holy shit,” was all she said.

Ulquiorra stared at her with wide eyes. He had to reach down to adjust himself because hearing her moan, although it was over food was… it did things to his brain. Hearing that sound melted it. “Yeah,” he said in agreement. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

Orihime ate about half of what she was given in relative silence, expressing her appreciation with little noises here and there, until she was a little less frenzied, and decided to pepper the eating with conversation. “So, where did you learn to cook like this?” she asked.

“They offered classes in prison. I took them,” he said after he took a bite of salad. “I already knew how to cook because Aizen made sure I did something with my time that was productive. I found I liked baking and cooking, coming up with different flavor combinations. Some weren’t so good but others… are a hit.”

“I have yet to try a stinker from you,” she said, then her eyes sparked. “What was your worst kitchen disaster?”

“Dark chocolate and matcha mousse. It was horrible.”

It didn’t sound so bad to her. “Greatest accomplishment?”

“Still striving for it,” he answered with a smile before taking a bite of pasta.

She smiled back at him and took a bite of the salad. “Wow. This is good, too.”

He shook his head and took a sip of wine. “It’s just salad. Nothing fancy. What about you? Do you cook?”

“Not really,” she admitted. “I can make banana bread and like, easy stuff, but I never really learned how to cook. I mostly eat take-out or instant stuff, or sometimes I just get sucked into my work and forget altogether,” she said. “But my coffee habit makes up for any lost calories.”

A small smile graced his face as he studied her. “Do I need to put real food on my menu?”

She chuckled. “Do you want me to get really fat? Because if you put real food on your menu, unless it’s like, super healthy, I’m sure that’s what will happen.”

“I rarely eat junk food. I mean I do eat like, burgers and fried chicken. Pizza… I like pizza. Burritos...” Ulquiorra trailed off and took another bite. He could feel his face getting hot. Why was he telling her this?

“I would love to see you tear down on a burrito,” she said with a small smirk. The idea seemed comical to her. He was usually so self-contained. “Like, just throwing back a cold one and noshing on some beans and rice. It would put you in a new light,” she said with a giggle.

Ulquiorra shook his head. “I’ve made reservations for the eleventh at the restaurant. Seven p.m.,” he said. “We’re still doing that, aren’t we?”

“Yes, fancy-ish, right?”

He nodded. “It's a place where you wear a suit and pay out the nose for a tiny creme brulee.”

“Wow, I hope I have something nice enough to wear,” she said, not particularly worried.

“You’ll look stunning.”

They finished the meal and Ulquiorra sipped on his wine as Orihime got up and went to get the basket she had put down earlier. He watched her move and sighed. He was truly pathetic. He got up and cleared the table of their dishes and got the cheesecakes he had made from the refrigerator. They were personal ones, made in tiny springform pans. He released the sweets from their metal prisons and plated them before adding a small dollop of whipped cream and a white chocolate drizzle. He let them sit on the island before he went to join Orihime in the living room.

Orihime looked at him with an anxious inhale. “Well, I don’t have a lot of money to throw around, so I just got some stuff that I like that reminds me of you, so, happy birthday,” she said, blushing and holding the basket out to him.

“You didn’t have to get me anything, Woman, but thank you. Your presence is enough of a gift,” he said, taking it from her. He then sat down on the big couch and motioned for her to sit down beside him as he pulled out an envelope.

The card was a humorous one, paying homage to the fact that both of them generally preferred quiet and saying something to the effect that he should party it up, and by that it meant have a nice meal and then go home and watch TV and go to bed early. Inside she simply wrote, “Happy Birthday, Ulquiorra. Thanks for sharing it with me! Love, Orihime”

He looked at her loopy handwriting, eyes following each line of the word love. She didn’t love him. It was just a friendly gesture. He glanced at her and smiled. “It’s funny,” he commented. “What’s next?”

He pulled out a rather flat package and carefully tore the tissue paper it was wrapped in. His lips twitched as he saw the cover of the DVD. “Batman?”

She smiled. “Yeah, you kind of have a Bruce Wayne vibe,” she said. “And I think I mentioned I liked Michael Keaton as Batman, so…” she trailed off.

He grinned. “I’m nowhere near as rich as Bruce Wayne. I’m a simple coffee shop owner,” Ulquiorra stated. He put the DVD case to the side and pulled out a narrow bag. “Is this wine?”

“Yes… I’ve never tried that one, but I think you’ll understand the _play_ on words and why it reminded me of you,” she said, blushing. “Also there were some decent reviews online.”

As Ulquiorra revealed the bottle and its label and his eyebrows shot up. He had to swallow hard as he read it. _Four_ play. _Fore_ play. All he could think about was that now. Dammit. “You know before the shop was named Coffee & Sadness, it was named Espresso IV. People would call it espresso ivy, not espresso four like I intended. After I gained my freedom again, I decided to rebrand my shop. You got this because of my tattoo.” 

“Ah, so that’s the reason for the name change. And yes, when I saw it I thought of that,” she said, referring to his tattoo and letting her eyes flicker to the spot on his chest where it resided.

The next gift was larger than the rest of them. He put it in his lap and ripped one side of the package and then slid the item out. It was the print he had been admiring in her home. The one of the deer/horse hybrid but this time a bat also accompanied the creature. “I think I may have the perfect place for this,” he said. “There’s a blank spot in my bedroom. I was going to put a mirror there but this… This would be better.”

She blushed and batted her lashes a bit, flustered by the indirect compliment. “Really? You like it? I mean, I saw you look at it so I hoped so, but you’ll hang it up?”

“Right across from my bed. It’ll be the first thing I see in the morning.”

She blushed harder. She didn’t know what to say, so she deflected. “The last thing in there is nothing new, but…” she was not really selling it, so she just shut up.

Ulquiorra grabbed the item and knew it had to be a CD. He still bought and listened to the things when he wanted to. He opened it and then laughed. “The Cure. Nice. Robert Smith is a genius when it comes to relating issues.” He put the CD down with the other presents and then turned to Orihime. He looked at her before he reached up and put one hand on her neck and the other on her jaw. Then he leaned forward and kissed her. It was much more than the kiss in his office. Their lips touched full on as his heart beat wildly in his chest.

Her eyes closed. She wanted more of this. She wanted more of this. She couldn’t… She inhaled sharply and pulled away. “Ulquiorra…” she said quietly.

“I apologize. I just… Thank you.”

She couldn’t let him feel guilty or ashamed. She put her arms around his neck and hugged him again, murmuring, “Happy birthday,” in his ear.

“Don’t,” he said to her. “You’ll turn me on if you do that. Thank you, Orihime.” Ulquiorra pulled back from her and then stood, leaving the gifts on the couch. “Come, let’s eat our cheesecakes.”

She nodded and stood. She wasn’t surprised at his words. She felt it too. She stayed a respectable distance away from him before making her way back to her seat at the kitchen table. “Ahem,” she cleared her throat and then smiled, trying to force a more lighthearted mood. “I can barely carry a tune, but I intend to sing for you. If you don’t have candles… I know you have a lighter.”

He brought the cakes over. “I have a candle and a lighter.” He put the tealight on the table and laughed. “I’ll get clean forks.”

“Really Ulquiorra? A tealight?” she teased. “At least let me light your candle for you.”

“You already light my candle,” he said. He grinned at her as he came back. He dug into his pocket and gave her the plain zippo lighter.

“I bet you say that to all the coffee girls,” she replied and lit the candle. She waited until he turned around before using a slightly embarrassed singing voice, “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Ulquiorra, happy birthday to you. And many more,” she added the coda with an exaggerated vibrato. She smiled through her self-inflicted humiliation and then said, “Make a wish.”

Ulquiorra’s green eyes turned to Orihime as he blew out the candle. He straightened his body and gave her a small smirk. “Shall we?”

***

Grimmjow came into Coffee & Sadness the following morning wearing a haughty look. He wasn’t going to let his friend get away with this. He confirmed Ulquiorra’s appointment by calling Oceanique and asking what time the reservation was for. He shook his head. The guy was having a late dinner with _his_ girlfriend. 

He was going to make sure Orihime had other plans that night.

The moment she closed the deal and Ulquiorra signed off on his logo, the sooner Orihime would never see the green-eyed man again, if Grimmjow had anything to say about it.

The pictures that Nnoitra had sent him still made his blood boil. 

That asshole.

That fucking asshole. 

This always happened. The moment he caught feelings or said the L word… Bitches cheated on him. Instead of Nnoitra, this time it was with Ulquiorra.

Prick.

“Did ya have your fun with her?” Grimmjow asked as he got up to the counter to order his coffee.

“I beg your pardon?” Ulquiorra asked in a bored tone.

“Did you have fun with my girlfriend? You know… practically fucking her at Starrk’s, going up to her apartment and not leaving hours later… Inviting her over for your birthday? Any of these ring a bell, Cifer?”

Ulquiorra’s gaze became darker as Grimmjow talked. How did the man know about all of that? “You’re under the assumption that I would disrespect Orihime. That is not the case. I happen to hold her in the highest regard and would not do anything to jeopardize my friendship with her, Grimmjow.”

“Bullshit. Nnoi’s told me everything--” Grimmjow growled. “Actually I’ve seen photos of you two. Nnoitra sent me them from the other night.”

“Consider the source. I’ve not done anything to Orihime. I walked her home that night. I bought her dinner because all the woman eats is--”

“Yeah, yeah, she can’t cook worth a damn. I know. Why’d you invite her over to your place for your birthday? That bitch waitress at Starrk’s told me you were trying to charm your way into her pants,” he asked.

Ulquiorra sighed, not wanting to make a scene. “You’re hurting her, Grimmjow. She is completely loyal to you. She’s my friend and she wouldn’t use me like everyone else has.”

There was a scoff. “You think you’re a knight in shining armor. You think you’re so superior to everyone. Fuck your flowers. I’m the king. I’m the one who makes the damn rules. You think you can take her? Orihime is just like everyone else, Ulq.”

“Grimmjow, I suggest you shut up and leave. Your girlfriend loves you,” Ulquiorra said.

The blue-eyed man scowled and his lip curled. “One of these days, Ulq. One of these days… I’m going to show you who the better man is.”

“I look forward to it.”

Grimmjow left the coffee shop and went to work, spending most of the day browsing websites for a gift. He had royally screwed up when it came to Thanksgiving with Orihime. He needed to show her that he cared. 

By the time Orihime was due in the office, Grimmjow had left a somewhat large box sitting on her desk, wrapped in silver wrapping paper. He knew how many art supplies she lugged around with her. He had gotten her something to streamline the process.

By the time she got to the office on Wednesday afternoon, Orihime was a mess. Her brain was, anyway. Ulquiorra… Grimmjow… Ulquiorra… Grimmjow… Jesus. She needed to knock it off. Ulquiorra was her friend. Her _friend_. She had drawn the line. He had pushed it, but didn’t cross it. It was fine.

Except that it wasn’t.

She couldn’t stop thinking _what if_.

What if things with Grimmjow weren’t getting any better? What if they had already hit their high note? What if he had gotten what he wanted from her and it was all downhill from here? What if he’d been taking her for a ride this whole time and she really was just another in a line of women that the blue-haired man wooed and left behind?

She almost didn’t notice the box on her desk. She lifted her purse to set it on the surface and then took a surprised step backward. A gift? On her desk? Her eyes moved around the room. No one seemed to notice that there was anything out of the ordinary going on.

“Um, Karen, is this…” Orihime asked as the older woman passed her row of cubicles.

“Oh, that? Grimmjow left that for you. Check to see if he wants you to drop it off somewhere, I guess,” she said, then added, “Oh, if you’re going across the street later, get me one of those hot chocolates, okay?”

Orihime raised her brows and nodded before walking to Grimmjow’s office and knocking on the doorframe.

He glanced up at her before he waved her into the room. He was on the phone with a hotel for the convention he would be going to next week. Grimmjow held up a finger to the young woman before he finished the call and hung up. “Hey Princess. I’m sorry I’ve not really contacted you after the thing on Thanksgiving. You looked really shaken up about it and I figured I’d let you sort things out. I’m an asshole for not checking in on you.”

He wasn’t wrong about that, she thought, and didn’t even notice that she nodded in agreement. That wasn’t what she was here for at the moment, though. “Um, yeah. Anyway, um, Karen said you wanted me to deliver the box on my desk somewhere?”

“You could think of it like that. It’s a gift from me to you for screwing up Thanksgiving. It was supposed to be a fun day with memories and all of that. I fucked up with you and taking you to meet my mom,” he said in a flat voice. Grimmjow stood up and walked over to Orihime, taking her hands into his.

She tilted her head in confusion. “Um, I thought…” She swallowed her words. She honestly didn’t know what she thought. “You got me a gift?”

His blue head nodded. “Do you not accept ‘I’m sorry I’m a complete asshole, let me make it up to you’ gifts from boyfriends who are stupid?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never been offered one before,” she said, a hint of a smile on her lips. “I suppose it depends what it is.” Her eyes met his and she stared, trying to figure out his intentions. The thing at his mom’s was nearly five days ago already and he hadn’t given her so much as a text asking how she was doing. She had been wondering if he had blamed her for it or something. But here he was apologizing… “I guess I better go see what it is, then?”

Grimmjow nodded again. “You could bring it in here but I kind of want everyone else to see what you got,” he said before pulling her close and hugging her. “I’m sorry, Hime. I love you.”

There they were. The magic words. The ones she’d been waiting to hear since he left her on the street in front of her apartment on Thursday. Her lips pressed together and her nostrils flared as she tried to remain unemotional. She nodded and turned to go back to her desk, but before she took a step, she whispered, “I love you, too.” She sniffed and straightened her shoulders before striding out of the office to her desk.

It was a decent-sized box. She slipped a fingertip between a fold in the silver paper and pulled, ripping the wrapping to reveal a well-known logo of an apple with a bite out of it. Her eyes widened in shock. “You got me an iPad Pro!?” she asked in an understated squeal. She never thought she would ever be able to afford something like this, and had only ever touched one in the store.

Grimmjow was leaning against the door of his office with his arms crossed over his chest. He had a smirk on his face. He had already one-upped Cifer. “I knew I was a huge asshole, Princess,” he replied as he pushed off the door and walked over to her desk. “It’s more efficient than lugging around all those art supplies when you just want to sketch something. I know you need the supplies for school but this will help when you don’t feel like carrying them.”

“Oh my god, Grimmjow, thank you so much!” she squeaked, not caring at the moment that everyone in the office was staring at them as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “This is the nicest-- I just-- Thank you,” she finally said, releasing him and trying to regain a semblance of professionalism.

“You’re welcome Orihime. Now get to work,” her boyfriend replied in a joking manner. “Show me what you can do with it.”

***

Ulquiorra sighed loudly in the quiet afternoon. The lunch rush just come through; Coffee & Sadness was empty… ish… Rangiku was talking a mile a minute to one of the other employees and he could hear her. He kept his eyes on the building across the street.

Apparently he didn’t see what he was looking for, though, because it wasn’t until an unpleasant cackle disturbed the relative quiet inside that shop that he noticed his nemeses, Karen and Susan, waltz through the door. 

It was Karen who spoke first, shaking out her short brown bob. “Can you believe it? I mean, really. She’s so frumpy and short. At least Brynlee had legs. Dumb as a box of rocks, though.”

Susan snorted. “I don’t know. I mean, Orihime seems fine. She can take the culture. She just isn’t…. She’s a Honda Civic, isn’t she?”

Karen tipped her head back and laughed. “Well, apparently she’s a Ferrari in bed. I cannot believe he did that, in front of everyone, too.”

“I KNOW,” Susan responded emphatically. “She was going to cry. I know it. I mean, it’s not diamonds or anything, but iPad Pros are pricey.”

They had arrived at the counter and were still chattering on, not paying any attention to the man behind the counter.

The two were loud enough that Ulquiorra caught every word the women said. His bored mood shifted to something more unpleasant. Grimmjow had bought Orihime an expensive gift? “Can I help you?” he asked as he looked at the women. “Did you say Orihime?”

It was Susan who heard him, and her head whipped in his direction. “Yes, I did. We’ll have the seasonal hot chocolate.”

Ulquiorra glared at the woman before he tapped the screen in front of him. He stood there for a moment, contemplating whether or not to say anything else but just gave the total. It wasn’t his business what happened with Orihime and Grimmjow. “Names?”

“Karen and Susan,” the brunette responded. “You know Orihime?” she asked with a suspicious, rising inflection.

Ulquiorra nodded as he wrote on the cups. “Yeah, she’s one of my best friends. I know her boyfriend too.”

Susan’s eyebrows raised at his response and Karen seemed to deflate. This was a lot less interesting than she had suspected. “Best friend? Huh. She seems so… So…”

“Mousey,” Karen provided.

“Yes, Mousey. Seems like you are a bit more on the ratty side? Either way. Just hard to imagine. Grimmjow, though,” and here Susan laughed unkindly. “He seems to lack any sense of judgment anyway, so you never can tell with him, right?”

“He’s never been the brightest one,” Ulquiorra muttered. He turned his back to the duo and went to get their hazelnut hot chocolate. What did the woman mean that he looked ratty? He looked professional. He looked put together. Orihime wasn’t mousey. Grimmjow was just an idiot. He scoffed as put the lids onto the cups. “You’re right though. You two probably lack common sense though.”

“Oh? What makes you say that?” Karen asked with a lilt, unable to imagine that someone as lowly as a barista would dare to diss her.

A rare smirk crossed Ulquiorra’s face. “Your stupid coffee orders, gossiping about your colleagues in front of their friend… stuff like that.”

Karen could only stare at the young man in shock.

Susan was slightly amused. “You sound like you have a bit of a protective streak. So tell us, was it always you and Orihime until Grimmjow swooped in with _his_ dumb coffee orders and nice car and ugly blue hair? Honestly I just do not get the appeal, Karen,” she said the last bit to her co-worker.

“Basic bitches,” Ulquiorra said and straightened his spine. It was never him and Orihime although that’s what he wanted. He wasn’t going to let these two assholes shit on his friend. They could bag on Grimmjow all they wanted. “That’s what you two are. A latte without coffee is just milk, you idiot. A non-milk chai latte is just tea. A grilled cheese sandwich has dairy in it. Get the hell out of my shop.”

“Well, then. I have to wonder about her,” Susan muttered, grabbing the drinks and passing one to Karen. “Maybe we should send her to that shit-inducing crap factory from now on instead of here. We wouldn’t want to spoil her perfectly obedient track record by exposing her to stuck up baristas, would we? She might pick up your attitude, Mr. Cifer.” Susan knew exactly who she was talking to and who he was; she was a snoop. She looked into the Coffee & Sadness account at Rotten. She also knew _her_ job wasn’t on the line. “Toodles.”

“Pumpkin spice isn’t exotic either dipshit,” Ulquiorra called out as the women left.

It was then Rangiku stuck her head out of the workroom door. “What the hell, Ulquiorra? Did you just lay into some customers?”

Another loud sigh. “They had it coming, Rangiku,” Ulquiorra stated. He put his palms flat against the counter and let his head drop so that he was looking at the marbled surface. It was a rare moment that he was showing how vulnerable and weak he was at times.

“This is about the redhead, isn’t it?”

Ulquiorra nodded.

“Have you told her?”

He nodded again.

“Ulquiorra, you’re not supposed to get mixed up with customers,” the blonde woman said softly. “That’s what you always tell me.”

The man seemed defeated. “I know,” he replied. “Grimm said I couldn’t have her. I didn’t expect to catch feelings for her.”

“You’re an idiot,” Rangiku said.


	13. Soured and Spoiled

“Orihime?”

She closed her eyes and counted to three in her head. It would have made better sense if her name was Cinderella. “Yes, Karen?”

“Would you mind getting some coffee for us?” she asked, her head sticking out of a conference room.

She took another deep breath, and grabbed a pad of Rotten note paper and a pen. She scuttled into the conference room and put on her usual smile. “I’ll start with you, Mister Jaegerjaquez,” she said.

“Go across the street. Eggnog latte add espresso. A banana nut muffin, please. I’m hungry today,” Grimmjow said with a flash of his eyebrows at her.

“Right,” Orihime said, scratching the order down and smiling a bit wider until she got to the boss. “For you, Mister Kuchiki?”

“Black coffee, two sugars.”

She nodded and gave him a gentler smile before moving on. Susan was next. “Did I hear eggnog? Eggyes!” she squealed. 

Orihime tried not to laugh and only marginally succeeded. “And you, Karen?”

“Mint hot chocolate.”

“Nice choice, Karen,” Orihime said, and got the coffee orders for the other people in the room. “I’ll be back shortly,” she said and excused herself, walking back to her desk for her jacket and the Rotten credit card.

Ulquiorra watched Orihime come out of the building across the street. He was straightening merchandise and looking through what he had to make Orihime’s aunt a gift basket. He figured it was time to do that. His smile got bigger as she walked across the street. Seeing her, though, made his heart clench for some reason. Was it because he admitted that he had feelings for her? 

She opened the door and took a deep breath.  _ My sanctuary _ , she thought as she walked to the back of the line. She caught Ulquiorra’s eyes and smiled.

He took the wire basket he held and walked around to where she stood. “What do you want? I can get it for you and then you can talk my ear off,” he said.

“Oh, such fine service,” she said, narrowing her eyes and feeling in high spirits. She hadn’t seen him in a few days; after Grimmjow’s gift and apology, and having been told to get coffee at a competitor’s shop, she didn’t find time to come into Coffee and Sadness until now. She missed these green eyes. “Hi, by the way. I missed you. Bet you wish I wasn’t back though; I have another conference order,” she said, raising her brows, looking self-impressed.

“Great. How is my angry bird logo coming along?” He scrapped all of her ideas and offered to buy her bird doodle from her. He wanted that angry looking little thing with his cup of coffee as his brand image. “Everything okay with Grimmjow?”

“I think it’s okay. He apologized.”

Ulquiorra sighed and touched her arm. Of course Grimmjow apologized. “Well that’s good,” he stated.

“The little bird is doing great, though. Also, I need to thank you,” she said, putting a palm on his shoulder. "Without your insight, I might have never known. I’ve heard what happened to the other interns he grew tired of. It’s part of the reason I wanted to talk to you about him when I was starting to get worried about our relationship. I needed to at least  _ try _ to be aware of what might come to pass. Now that it’s all out in the open it can be dealt with.”

“We can talk about your feelings and thoughts anytime, Orihime. You know that. We’re friends,” Ulquiorra smiled at her and pushed back some of her hair so he could see her face. “You’re welcomed over here or at my place anytime. I’ll feed you.”

Her stomach erupted into butterflies. Yeah. She had some feelings she could talk about, alright. It just felt like it would be a betrayal to voice them. “I’d like to come over sometime to watch that DVD I got you. We can eat whatever; leftovers, I don’t care. I--” It was no use beating around the bush. Her eyes darted around the cafe before she leaned in a bit closer to him and murmured, “I just want to see you sometimes. I’ve never had a friend like you before.”

If he wasn’t at work right now he would have dropped the basket and kissed her. “Same,” he whispered back. He took a step back and smiled. A friend. He was an asshole. “I’ll meet you at the register?”

She gave him a nod, her face as red as the scant Christmas decorations littered around the shop. “See you. Still not on the company coffee perks list though, can you believe it?” she joked like she had always done.

“Ah, but you’re on the Coffee & Sadness coffee perks list, so it really doesn’t matter,” he said as he walked backwards. He turned around and walked behind the counter, stashing the wire basket in the workroom. Ulquiorra was pretty bitchy with all the customers before Orihime.

“Okay, so,” Orihime began rattling off the orders, but passed the list as well. She had a bit of time in line, so she had drawn a tiny little angry bird in the corner together with an upside down bat, both with scarves and coffee cups. “Grimmjow will have the eggnog thing, Mr. Kuchiki is the black sugar with two lumps, Karen is minter hot chocolate, Susan is another eggnog thing. Oh and Grimmjow wants a banana nut muffin.”

“And for my--madam?” Ulquiorra said as he tapped the orders in. As he swiped the card, he handed it back to Orihime and began putting stickers on cups. He wrote asshole on Grimmjow’s cup.

She saw it and laughed. She began to answer Ulquiorra’s question, but realized that she didn’t know. “Um, surprise me,” she said.

His eyes flashed with a brief look of desire before he nodded. A smirk crossed his face as the order sticker printed out and he stuck it on the cup. One hazelnut hot chocolate and a gingerbread cookie coming up. He didn’t even go to the pickup counter to give it to her. He looked at Ethan and told him to keep an eye on things for a moment before he nodded his head to Orihime then began walking towards the office.

She narrowed her eyes and followed. “Another blind taste test?” she asked as they walked through the door.

“Depends,” he murmured, setting the bag with the cookie in it on the desk followed by the cup. He was going to be bold. He wanted to know if this was just lust or he had genuine feelings for the woman standing in front of him. He had her against the door the next moment. He didn’t do anything but slowly stroke the sides of her neck. He had to know, because if it was just lust, then he would probably take Rangiku up on her offer to fuck. If it was feelings, then Ulquiorra wanted to make sure Orihime knew how he felt. 

He took a deep breath and asked, “Do you close your eyes when we’ve kissed?”

Her lips were slightly parted, and she breathed a couple of times before she licked her dry lips. What was happening? She found herself unable to find an answer to that question and whispered an honest answer to his. “Yes.”

“Then it’s a blind taste test,” he murmured before lowering his mouth to hers. 

This time, when he kissed her, a tiny whine escaped her throat, and she stepped into it for a brief moment before she realized what was happening, then took a very confused step backward.

Why had she stepped back? Did she realize what he felt for her? “Orihime,” he breathed. 

“Sir, RBM’s order is done,” came a voice from the other side of the closed door.

Sigh. Growl. Sigh again. He wanted to talk this over with her. “You should go,” he stated as he picked up the coffee cup and the cookie he had gotten for her.

“I’m sorry… I--” she shook her head and her face fell. “I don’t know what came over me. I--” she didn’t know what to say. “You’re right, I’ll go.”

He opened the office door for her and let her lead the way out to the shop floor. Ulquiorra was already exhausted from this week. There had been so many ups and downs for him. It felt like the weight of his worries were making him drown. He just wanted the rest of the day to go smoothly. It wouldn’t. 

She hung her head and walked out. Why did he do that? He had just said that they were friends. Maybe they needed to talk about what that meant, but now wasn’t the time. She sighed. “I’ll talk to you soon,” she said. She also felt heavy. It seemed like all she was capable of doing was screwing up one nice thing after another.

“Text me,” Ulquiorra said as he turned to go behind the counter. “Let me know.”

“Let you know?” Oh, about the project. She raised her head and nodded, giving him a tight smile. “I’ll get it done and let you know, soon.”

Ulquiorra was going to correct her on what he meant but he didn’t get a chance. 

“There you are!” a sharp voice rang across the floor of the shop before a woman with thinnish, dry, strawberry blonde hair and a few missing teeth came stomping toward Orihime.

Everyone had eyes on this new person, including Orihime, hers round and full of dread. She took a large step backward and pressed against Ulquiorra’s side, but not on purpose. It didn’t matter, though, it didn’t last long as he went behind the counter. “Louise? What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“Oh, it’s Louise, now? Not Mom or Mommy? You think you’re too good for me out here, dontcha?” the older woman spat towards her daughter, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her towards the exit. “I need to talk to you. You have been ignoring me for too long, missy. I know you have a job now. I need your help and you are going to give it to me, _now_. I don’t want to hear your excuses!” Louise Miller’s grip on her daughter’s arm was tight, but despite that and the hard set of her eyes, she was otherwise behaving on the upper limits of what might be considered normal. Her tone was sharp and scolding, but not too aggressive. Not yet, anyway.

“Let go of me!” Orihime hissed, trying to yank her arm away. 

Louise was thin, but a lot taller than her daughter. She pulled, the skin between her brows wrinkling deeply in response to Orihime’s protests. “You  _ are _ coming with me. Get moving!” she snarled.

“No!” Orihime yelped loudly, disturbing the other customers, whose heads turned towards the commotion with concerned faces.

“Stop being such a drama queen and let’s go, Hime! Come on!” Louise snapped, stopping her forward motion but still holding on. She turned and stood to face Orihime, grabbing her with her free hand by her soft, full cheeks, and squeezing. “If you’re going to act like a little bitch, that’s how I’m going to treat you. Kathy always spoiled you, Orihime. Now, let’s go before you make more of a scene.”

Orihime was starting to panic. This was her worst nightmare. She had a huge coffee order to bring back to her office. She had to do her job, but it looked like her mother was going to get in the way. “Mom, maybe we can just get a cup of coffee and catch up? I just have to run an errand first,” she pleaded, looking over at the counter where eight cups sat in carriers. “I’ll only be a minute.”

“No, no, I can come with you,” Louise said, letting go. 

“No!” Orihime’s shrill voice sounded horrified at the idea. It was not an indoor voice, either.

Ulquiorra watched the scene unfold in front of him. He saw how there were several customers who were in the shop. Some of them were getting up to leave with disgusted faces and pointing at his  _ friend  _ and whoever the woman was. If this was Orihime’s mother, then he could understand why she didn’t want him to meet her.

Right now that wasn’t important. He came from around the counter and strode over to where Orihime stood. “You need to leave. I’ll take the coffees over, but you need to go,” he said to smaller woman. 

Her eyes slid over to his slowly, and when they found them, she knew. He had seen and heard enough. She couldn’t blame him. Nobody wanted to be friends with her after they knew about her mom. Hot tears fell down her squished cheeks and she sniffed once, then nodded as much as she could. “I’m sorry,” was all she whispered before her mother released her face and Orihime left..

Louise still stood there, looking at the guy who dared to try to throw her out. “And who the hell are you to tell me to leave?” she demanded, narrowing her yellow eyes on Ulquiorra.

“I’m the owner; now leave before I call the police. I’m sure a jail cell would give you all the help you need.”

“Ha! A punk piece of shit like you? Go fuck yourself. ORIHIME INOUE! WAIT UP!” she bellowed as she made her way to the door, extending her middle finger for all to see.

A heavy sigh left the man as he watched the nasty old woman leave. He felt like there was nothing good left in the world. Shaking his head, Ulquiorra turned back to the counter and gave Ethan a look. “Call Rangiku, tell her to come in early. I’m going upstairs,” he said before disappearing through the door that would lead him to his home.

***

Orihime ended up bringing her mother back to her apartment. The woman criticized her artwork, calling her a hack who should focus on a more lucrative career. Orihime listened quietly, waiting for the abuse to stop and for the woman to finally get to her point.

“Anyway, Hime, I’m here because I’m sick. I need someone to take care of me.”

She wished she was never born. “How are you sick?”

“It’s my kidneys and liver. Apparently I need dialysis and special medical treatment. You have insurance, right? I can just use your card.”

“No, I don’t, mom… I’m just an intern.”

“What the fuck? Why don’t you go demand it? You could--”

“No, mom. They don’t give benefits to interns. I’m only part time. I have exams next week.”

“Whatever… I have medicare, you can just cover the rest. I need a lot of help. Do you have a dealer?”

“What?!” Orihime couldn’t believe this.

“Do you expect me to just sit here in pain and deal with it? You wouldn’t last a day living my life. You’ve always had it so cushy with  _ perfect _ Kathleen.”

Orihime knew that arguing with this bitch was useless. “I’ll… I’ll ask a guy later tonight. I have some Advil or something in the cupboard over the sink.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I have to go back to work, but I’ll see you tonight I guess,” she said, leaving. She had left the iPad Grimmjow had given her at the office, and only things in her place worth anything to her was her art and laptop, and she hoped her mom was not interested in either.

As she reached the street, she called into the office and made some excuse about a family emergency, turning left instead of right when she left her building. She walked a block and a half until she got to Starrk’s. She had never been there before during daylight hours. It looked different. 

She opened the doors and saw the tall blonde who worked there. “Hey, Tier, is Nnoitra working today?”

The other woman looked up and nodded. “He’ll be here in an hour or so, did you want to wait?”

Orihime pursed her lips and nodded. Did she want to? No. She would, though. She needed a drink right now, anyway. “Yeah, can I have a Death in the Afternoon?” she asked, passing the woman her card. 

Tier nodded and got to work preparing the cocktail, then brought it over to where Orihime sat at the bar. “So what do you want with Nnoi?”

Orihime sighed. “Personal favor.”

When the tall, lanky man walked into the bar almost forty-five minutes later, he was surprised to see Grimmjow and Ulquiorra’s woman there. He got a questioning look from Tier, which he shrugged off. He clocked in. He did what he needed to do, and then he became a figure behind the bar while the blonde woman did her manager duties. “Want another one?” he asked Orihime.

“Uh, how about a Maker’s Mark on the rocks?” she asked, not wanting to be completely drunk. She was already feeling pretty tipsy, but not in a good way. “And a glass of water.”

Nnoitra gave a nod and went about making her drink, pouring in too much of the liquor before setting both of the glasses in front of Orihime. “Ain’t it a bit early to be drinking? Or is having two boyfriends stressing you out?”

She raised tired-looking eyes to him. “I only have one boyfriend. I’m stressed, though. I have an unexpected house guest with, um, questionable hobbies?” She took a sip of the whiskey and set it back down. “I was wondering if you knew someone.”

A somewhat sinister grin came over Nnoitra’s face. He put his elbows on the bartop and leaned over to get a better look at this woman. “I know a lot of someones,” he said.

Orihime straightened her spine to put more distance between them. “I don’t want you to think the wrong thing… Grimmjow talks. I know some things about you. I want to know whether or not you have suppliers.”

A chuckle, and Nnoitra pushed himself up and looked down at Orihime. “Hmmm, maybe. I didn’t figure you’d be a partier.”

“I'm not,” Orihime said, pursing her lips and staring back into his eyes. She would normally feel intimidated, and she still did, but she was more desperate and had fewer fucks to give than usual. “I don’t even think she cares much about type or quality, she just wants the pain to go away.”

“Ah, if you want the good stuff, we’re going to fuck. If you don’t care, then I can have something for you by the time I leave work,” Nnoitra said, laughing at the end.

Orihime looked angry. “You are friends with Grimmjow. Why would you even say that to me?”

“ _ Because _ I’m friends with him. If he talks, then you know all about our song and dance, don’tcha Princess? I know a lot about you.”

She looked to the side as he nonchalantly compared her to all Grimmjow’s previous lovers, but her eyes snapped back at the end. “Like what? What do you know?”

A smirk. “I know everything Ulquiorra’s told me about you. He comes in here and gets drunk and starts running his mouth how he has feelings for you and how Grimmjow jerks you around and how he loves you. Grimmjow says you’re not much of a cook, and I believe he’s said you were a bit dumb or something, but that was a while ago.”

His words hurt her and she didn’t bother to hide it. It didn’t matter, the man was clearly lying. “Ulquiorra doesn’t have feelings for me. I don’t even think we’re friends, anymore.” She sighed and threw back the rest of the whiskey in her glass. That was a bad idea, she realized as she guzzled the water to reduce the sting. “I’ll come back later. I don’t care about how good the stuff is, I’m not going to fuck you, Nnoitra. Besides, I thought I wasn’t your type,” she said, her words slurring slightly.

“Eyy, you know Grimmjow has pics of you and Ulq, right? You know, that night y’all were cuddled up on the couch back there… When you invited Cifer up to your apartment?” Nnoitra scoffed then turned away from the woman. “You have a vagina; you’re my type. Come back fifteen minutes before closing and I’ll have your shit. It’ll be fifty.” 

Orihime scowled. “You took pictures of us? What the fuck?” she whined, the alcohol making her fuzzy. “Yeah, we were talking here and he came over and we ate curry and looked at art. Why are you trying to stir the shit pot? There is nothing there.”

Nnoitra didn’t even turn back around to address her. “Maybe not on your end, but both of your boys know about the other one. Be gone.”

***

Orihime didn’t bother saying much when she got back to her apartment, other than to give Louise a timeframe. The woman complained as she watched television on Orihime’s laptop and ate all her microwave popcorn. At the appointed hour, Orihime returned to Starrks and just stood at the end of the bar. She didn’t remove her jacket. She just looked defeated and waiting. She had a fifty dollar bill folded in her hand.

Ulquiorra had decided to leave his apartment. He ordered an Uber. He needed a night out to be what people thought he was. He was not a lowly barista. He was not a ratty punk. He just lived below his means. He worked like everyone else did. Susan, Karen, and Orihime’s mother could go fuck themselves. So could everyone else who crossed his path and looked down on him.

Nnoitra had set his drinks in front of him and left him alone, only replacing the empty glass with a new one, which was fine with Ulquiorra. He didn’t want to be bothered. After three whiskeys, he waved Nnoitra over. “Give me a Death,” he stated in a low voice. 

“Just a minute. I got business to take care of,” Nnoitra replied.

The hell? What business did he have to take care of? Ulquiorra watched the man as he went to the end of the bar and narrowed his eyes. He saw Nnoitra talking to the woman and that was all it took for him to realize it was Orihime. 

Why did Orihime--

His stomach dropped into his feet as he watched Nnoitra hand a small baggie to Orihime. Money exchanged hands. Things made a lot more sense now. She accepted big gifts from Grimmjow, and if Nnoitra had business dealings with Orihime that meant… Those two were on their same bullshit. At least Orihime hadn’t dragged him into it. He’d be pretty salty if he had been pulled into some love-whatever those three had going on.

As he swirled the last of the alcohol in his glass, Ulquiorra kind of felt relieved. At least Orihime respected him enough to make them be friends, instead of yanking him around. She was a good person probably, but mixed up into some bad shit.

Orihime never saw Ulquiorra there. She didn’t ask any questions, except one: “This isn’t going to kill her, is it?”

“Nah, but a little dab will give her what she wants. Don’t be letting her take it all at once, or else you’re gonna have a body on ya hands,” Nnoitra said. “Money?”

She held her hand out as if to shake his. “I actually went to the bank for this.”

“You can always pay in a different currency,” Nnoitra said, grinning at her.

“Not a publically traded commodity, but thank you for your interest, such as it is,” she said with little inflection and less humor. She was sober now.

Nnoitra gave a chuckle and shrugged. “Let me know if you change your mind, Princess. I’ve got to get back to work.”

She nodded and left.

She never went to work the next morning. 

“Mom? Mom? Mom, wake up!” her voice was increasingly frantic, and trembled on the telephone with emergency services.

She clenched her teeth and barely breathed in the ambulance, rocking back and forth slightly, hands fisted into the knees of her jeans.

She didn’t call into work until two hours later, after RBM opened.

“Susan, I can’t come in today, my mom is in the hospital and it’s touch and go right now. Is Grimmjow there?” The anxiety she felt leaked through her voice.

She was transferred to her boyfriend’s line.

“Hey Orihime, what’s up? You sick or something?” Grimmjow asked in a distracted way. He was busy looking over a work order when his line beeped. There was silence from him as he listened to her talk. “Oh shit. Yeah. No, I’ll be there, okay? I’m leaving now.”


	14. A Bitter Aftertaste

When he didn’t see Orihime enter the Rotten Brand Management building the next morning, Ulquiorra started worrying. A few hours later, he watched Grimmjow run out of the building across the street and his car zoom out of the parking lot moments later. He had to wonder what the hell was going on.

It wasn’t his business.

He could replay the scene in his head though: Nnoitra’s little plastic bag, Orihime giving him money.

So he texted Grimmjow about fifteen minutes after he took off.

  * Is everything okay? Is Orihime okay?



The message was read, but Ulquiorra didn’t get a reply back.

***

When Grimmjow arrived at the hospital, Orihime was waiting for him in the lobby. She looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes, looking completely lost. She just stared at him for a moment or two. 

He came. 

He actually came.

She hadn’t cried until this point, but tears came to her now as she took one step towards him, and then another, and then another until she practically fell into his arms, whispering, “Thank you for being here.”

She looked miserable. She hadn’t told him much on the phone, but she needed him. It was an emergency. Grimmjow didn’t want to let Orihime down after he already had. He wrapped his arms around her. “Well, I’m your boyfriend. I’m supposed to do things like this. How are things?” he asked.

“It’s my mom. She… She…” Orihime sucked in a sob and buried her head in Grimmjow’s chest. She didn’t want to talk about this in the lobby anyway. “They have her in a room in back. I don’t know if she’s going to make it. There is a private waiting room back there we can go to. Do you need to…?” She didn’t know what he might need to do, but she didn’t want him to feel like he didn’t have a choice about coming with her.

He shook his head. “Let’s go,” he replied. Grimmjow didn’t know a lot about Orihime’s mom, except for the fact that his girlfriend didn’t talk about her very much. They hadn’t talked about either of their parents much. “We can talk in the other waiting room.”

Orihime nodded and took his hand, leading him past the secured doors and into a private waiting area, then stood aside to let him take a seat. “Do you need any coffee or anything? They have a machine here; I can make some.” She wasn’t sure how to start this conversation.

“No, tell me what’s going on. What’s wrong with your mom?”

“She overdosed sometime during the night. Wait, no, I need to back up a bit. She found me. She found me at the coffee shop. She said she’s sick; that she needs help. She asked me… I shouldn’t have done it. I just wanted her to stop…” Orihime sat down in a chair across the small room from him and put her elbows on her knees, letting her head drop so that her hair obscured her face. “This is my fault.”

Grimmjow’s face turned into a scowl. What did she mean her mom overdosed on something? Drama like this was the last thing he needed in his life. Orihime’s mom kind of sounded like his parents with the drugs or drinking. “She asked you what? You’re not making sense, Hime,” Grimmjow said, smoothing his features out and walking over to the seat beside her.

She took a deep, shuddering breath and raised her head enough that he could see her profile, although she didn’t look above the level of the seats across the room. “She asked me if I had a dealer. You know I don’t do stuff like that, I never have. She was screaming at me and picking on me and I just didn’t… I haven’t seen her since my brother’s funeral…” She had to stop there and take a deep breath. As she was explaining it, she realized it sounded like she was just being selfish. That wasn’t the case. There was so much bad blood between her and her mother that he didn’t know about, though.

“So your mom went out and found her own stuff, how is that your fault?” Grimmjow asked, studying the woman. “It’s not your fault if she got a hold of some bad drugs. Not like you bought them for her.”

She looked up at him slowly, her lower lip quivering and her head shaking from side to side. “She doesn’t know anyone in Evanston. I talked to Nnoitra.”

A long breath left Grimmjow. He knew how Nnoitra operated. He didn’t want to believe this. Orihime wouldn’t have done him dirty like this. She didn’t fuck Ulquiorra… She wouldn’t fuck Nnoitra. “Did you fuck him?” he asked, in a low voice. “I’ll believe what you say, I just have to know. Did you get the stuff from him?”

“I didn’t, although he asked. I paid him fifty bucks. I don’t even know what he gave me. I didn’t specify. I didn’t ask. I wouldn’t even know what to ask for,” she replied softly. She was too distracted by her current dilemma to be offended by his question.

Fuck. Shit. Damn. Hell. Of course that bastard probably gave Orihime something shitty. “I’m not too sure, but I think he deals meth as a side income. Or something,” Grimmjow replied, glancing at Orihime and then down at his hands. “When he started dealing I moved out. I’d have to ask him what he gave you, but I’d end up needing bail money because I would kick his ass for asking you that.”

Orihime sighed deeply. “I told him he was a shitty friend for asking me that. He said it was part of your “song and dance.” Whatever; I don’t come between friends,” she said, then her eyes flickered to the floor again. She hadn’t thought about what happened with the kiss in Ulquiorra's office yesterday since her mom arrived. Shit. Well, it wasn’t an issue anymore. Ulquiorra was done with her, as a friend or otherwise.

He had to refrain from snorting. She may not come between friends, but his friends liked to come between him and whoever he was seeing at the moment. He couldn’t say anything about Ulquiorra. She probably didn’t know he knew about that. “That is a whole other issue that needs to be dealt with some other time. You need to focus on your mom right now.”

She pursed her lips and shook her head, trying to suppress a sob. “You know what the worst part is? I’ve been sitting here all morning trying to convince myself that… That…” She hiccuped. “That I really _do_ want her to wake up. I’m a horrible person.” The sob came after her admission.

Grimmjow took Orihime’s hand in his and squeezed it lightly. “Sometimes family isn’t blood. You can’t let toxic people ruin your life. I’m not saying this to be a dick, but have you ever talked to someone about this? I mean sometimes when I talk to my mom I wish she’d disappear and never resurface.”

Orihime shook her head. “I don’t have insurance, Grimmjow.” She squeezed his hand back, though, grateful for his support.

It was on the tip of his tongue if she just applied for an actual job at RBM, she’d have that covered. “Right,” he said with a nod. “So, we need to figure out what to do if your mom does pull through.”

***

Days passed, and Ulquiorra hadn’t heard from Orihime. She hadn’t texted him and she hadn’t come into the shop to get any coffee. He texted Grimmjow to make sure that Orihime was reminded of their dinner plans, and the only response he got back was a thumbs up.

So when he arrived at the fancy restaurant, he was surprised to see another RBM employee waiting for him. “What are you doing here, Susan?” Ulquiorra asked.

“Byakuya sent me. He had Orihime go to some conference in Chicago with Grimmjow. He wants her to be arm candy and try to charm people into dealing with Rotten, although I’m not sure it’s such a great idea,” the older woman said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

This was not what he wanted to hear. He wanted to deal with Orihime and her only on this. That was her art. Susan put no time or effort into this. A scowl crossed his face and he scoffed. “Why wasn’t I informed of this change? Why didn’t someone tell me this? You can go back to Rotten. I’m not signing anything.”

Susan raised her eyebrows and tilted her head. “Really? You too? What is it with that girl? She’s nothing special. I mean look at this,” she said, pulling a print of the sparrow out of an envelope. “She shouldn’t even be at Rotten. She’s too… Too sweet,” she said with a bit of exasperation. Susan didn’t dislike Orihime, but she didn’t think she was Rotten material.

“That’s my logo, you stupid--” Ulquiorra stopped and huffed. It wouldn’t do to waste insults on someone who was too dense to care. “Whatever. I’ll be speaking to Byakuya about this. I’ll make sure to throw in your two cents about my logo and how you’ve treated me.”

“I’m sorry, have I offended you? Why are you so insistent on having her here? She’s been useless since her mom… Well, I mean it’s understandable, but she hasn’t been able to deal with much. I’m sure Byakuya thought he was doing you a favor by sending me. She’s not stable right now.”

His eyebrows rose slightly. “What happened with Orihime’s mom? What happened with Orihime?”

“You don’t know? Well, I guess I could tell you if you want to sit and have dinner. It’s on Rotten, by the way,” the woman said, pulling a chair out and waiting for his acceptance.

“Absolutely not. Tell me so I can be on my way. I’d rather not waste the brain cells spending any substantial amount of time around you.”

The blonde leveled a firm look at him. “Very well, Mr. Cifer, I’ll let Mr. Kuchiki know. I’m sorry to waste your time,” she said, turning and walking away without letting him know anything about Orihime.

A flash of anger went through the green-eyed man and he turned and walked out of the restaurant. He told the valet he wanted his car. Getting the vehicle from Highland Park was a mistake. Doing this entire thing was a mistake. 

As soon as he was in the car, Ulquiorra decided to drive to Orihime’s apartment.

***

“Who the hell are you?” Louise’s voice was tired-sounding as she answered Orihime’s buzzer.

“Is Orihime Inoue here?” Ulquiorra asked as he stood out in the cold, teeth chattering. Who was this woman, and where was the woman who had captured his attention? “Who are you?”

“No, she went down to Chicago after her last final exam today. Fucking waste of time, if you ask me. Who are you?” she asked again.

Oh. It was true. What Susan had told him had been the truth. Ulquiorra sighed heavily as he considered his options. He hadn’t really talked to or texted Orihime. His texts to Grimmjow always were read but never answered. 

“Are you just gonna stand out there like a holy picture? Did you have a delivery or something?” Louise interrupted his train of thought.

“No,” Ulquiorra replied and turned away to go back to his car. 

“Wait!” the voice came through the speaker. “Are you a friend of Orihime’s or something? Could I ask you a favor?”

Ulquiorra stopped and then turned to look at the device on the wall of the building. Was he friends with Orihime? He wanted much more than a friendship with the woman. He wanted to utilize her time and space much like Grimmjow did. He wanted to invade and capture her attention and focus. “We’re more acquaintances,” he finally stated.

“Well, in that case, maybe… I mean, I could probably give you something you want if you did something for me,” the woman said, a bit of a baiting lilt in her voice.

The disgust was apparent on his face. There was nothing this person could give him that he wanted. “No thank you.”

There was a loud scoff. “Fine, then, do you know who that little bitch knows? I’m in a lot of pain, here.”

“Are you asking me if I know how to obtain illegal substances?”

“Well, they shouldn’t be illegal.”

Tch. Ulquiorra turned back around and practically ran to his car. He drove back to the coffee shop and parked the car around back. Then he just sat there for a while, thinking. He mulled the subjects over in his brain. Orihime with Grimmjow. Orihime giving Nnoitra money. Orihime not coming into Coffee & Sadness. Then this woman--no, whoever answered the buzzer at Orihime’s apartment was a thing, not a person. This thing had the audacity to ask him if he knew where to score some drugs?

Ulquiorra’s inner voice was telling him that he dodged a bullet with Orihime. Maybe it was for the best that she had turned him down and ran off. He had swerved to miss that trainwreck. The thought made his stomach clench in pain.

He felt like he was losing something.

He was being ridiculous.

***

Grimmjow smirked at Orihime. Things were going okay between them… not considering that her mom was a complete cunt and tried on a daily basis to get money or drugs from the couple. It was grating on his nerves, but he tolerated it. 

Orihime was important to him. He needed her around. She brought a smile to his face. 

So when he was making arrangements for the convention, he booked one hotel room. He made them reservations at some upscale restaurant. He didn’t think about who might be at the convention. 

“How are you liking Chicago so far?” he asked the redhead.

“It is not Evanston. _She_ isn’t here. I’m with you. It’s perfection,” she said with a smaller smile than she would have liked. She wanted to leave the bitch behind them, but part of her couldn’t completely shake the worry about what Louise might do in her absence. What if she burnt the place down? What if she OD’d and Orihime came home to a body? She closed her eyes for half a second and willed the thought away. “Thanks for doing all this.”

Grimmjow shrugged and walked over to his girlfriend, slipping his arms around her shoulders. “Orihime, you don’t have to thank me for taking you away from what’s stressing you. I’m relieved to be away from Evanston, too.”

Orihime nodded. “I know. And I know you say I don’t need to apologize, and I promise no more while we’re here, but I am sorry about her. I can’t fix it.”

A sigh left him as he gave her a slow kiss. Louise was worse than Ellen in many ways--more ways than he could count. “I love you; just forget about her and the situation, okay?”

“Got it. I love you too.” She took a step back from him and looked around the room. “So tomorrow we have schmoozing during the day and wining and dining at night? I brought some nicer clothes; I hope I don’t look like a kid, though,” she said with a sly smile on her face as she ran a hand down her side. Yeah, she had a soft innocent face, but her body was _not_ childlike. 

“You look like a woman. We’re going to be going to dinner tonight, and tomorrow we’re working the floor, and as you say, schmoozing. I have a client or two I want you to meet. We’ll be wining and dining tomorrow night.”

“Okay. Anything I need to know about these people, or are they just normal… as opposed to what, I don’t know,” she said, laughing at herself.

“Eh,” Grimmjow said, rubbing the back of his neck and then running the same hand through his hair, messing it up further. “The lady who I’ve been working with on her logo wants to discuss some things. I figured you need to learn how to deal with a ballbuster.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Do I?” she asked and laughed. One thing that slightly bothered her about her boyfriend was that he seemed to be stuck on the idea that she would be joining him in advertising and design as a career path, despite her constant gentle reminders that his profession was not her end game. Still, it was nice that he was taking such a mentoring interest in her and she appreciated it. “In any case, are we trying to be charming anyone here if given the opportunity? I can try to get noticed…”

He gave her a serious look. “Although you don’t want to do what I do for a living, you might have a difficult buyer or client who wants something commissioned. You’re going to have to deal with difficult people. Ulquiorra Cifer is a difficult person to deal with.”

Her brows fell. “Ugh, don’t remind me.” Every time she thought about the green-eyed man, her stomach dropped. She would probably never forget the look in his eyes when he kicked her out of his shop… Out of his life… Whatever. She couldn’t blame him after the scene she and her mother caused, but it had left her aching.

“Don’t worry about it. By the time we get back, the Coffee & Sadness logo will be resolved and you’ll be done with him and it.”

That wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted the visits to the coffee shop and the banter and the dreams of Ulquiorra, potential Batman, back in her life. She grit her teeth and took a deep breath. “I know. He was my friend, though. I…” She sighed and turned to look out the window. “Not a lot of people are.”

A heavier sigh left him this time. Sometimes he wanted to punch her mother for making her so unhappy. Ever since Louise showed up, Orihime had mentioned that Ulquiorra kicked them out of the shop. She hadn’t stepped foot back into the place since then. Grimmjow knew the green-eyed man wanted information about Orihime and what was going on, but the blue-haired man knew what was best. 

Orihime being around his friend wasn’t for the best. He should have nipped their little friendship when it started blossoming and Ulquiorra started challenging him. “You have a friend in me,” he said, giving her a small smile.

“I know,” she said, turning back to face him. “I love you, Grimmjow.” She walked over to her boyfriend and put her arms around his torso and squeezed, then sighed, releasing her tension for the moment. “I don’t know what I would do without you,” she added, tilting her face up so that her chin laid against his chest as she looked up into his face.

Grimmjow knew what she would be doing. She’d be in the arms of Ulquiorra. He hugged her tighter. “I love you. Now let’s celebrate our small vacation from Evanston.”

***

Orihime woke up feeling like a new woman. Grimmjow had taken her to the most upscale place she had ever seen in her life, and instead of being looked down upon like the scum of the earth she usually identified with, she was treated with respect and impeccable service. They had a bottle of wine. They ate food that was so good that it almost made her cry. They came back to the hotel room and fell into bed together, and she could honestly say that she had forgotten Evanston and everyone in it for the better part of the evening.

The memories came back in the morning, but with fresh perspective. There was a wider world than Louise Miller and her string of heartbreak. Her mother could chase her and find her again, but there was always this other side of things. Grimmjow was showing it to her. She had to be strong and believe in him. She got out of bed and into the shower, letting that feeling of resolve permeate every fiber of her being.

When she got out of the shower, Grimmjow was on the phone. She walked over and kissed his temple while still dressed in a towel before she began to get ready to meet the potential pool of customers that were going to be served to the representatives of Rotten Brand Management and its competitors.

Grimmjow had woken up the moment she left the bed. While last night had been amazing, he couldn’t help but feel guilty. He was lavishing attention and money on Orihime so that she would forget about the people in Evanston. He wanted her absolute attention. He had strong feelings for her, but he didn’t know if he loved her... yet.

He gave her a soft smile and opened his eyes to look at her. “Morning,” he murmured before sitting up. “I see you’re ready to go.”

“Almost,” she said, glancing at him with a smile of her own before looking back in the mirror and putting on another coat of mascara. “You slept in. Relaxed?” she asked with a small giggle. She had shown him her appreciation for his efforts in taking her out last night in bed.

“You could say that, Princess. I need to get my ass in gear to make it downstairs in time, don’t I?”

“You do. I’m going on a coffee run; they have a little stand in the lobby. Do you want me to bring something back up, or do you want to meet me down there?”

Grimmjow stood up and scratched his abdomen. “Uh, it can be up to you. How about we go down together? All I have to do is brush my teeth and get dressed. Maybe tame this mop on my head.”

She approached him and stood. “Rinse off, trust me. You smell like you just got laid,” she said with a chuckle, before dropping her lips to his bare chest and inhaling. “Not that I mind, but you know, professionalism.”

He just rolled his eyes but did as Orihime said. It took him less than ten minutes to finish getting ready. Grimmjow shoved his wallet and other stuff into his dress pants' pockets before looking at his girlfriend. “Ready?” he asked.

He thought he was ready. He thought he knew how today was going to go.

The elevator doors opened to the lobby just down the hall from the conference room. Immediately, the smell of inferior espresso hit Orihime’s nostrils, and she felt an almost impossibly strong pull toward it. She took a step toward the front desk and then another, but was nearly run over before she took the next by a woman with dyed reddish pink hair.

“Do my eyes deceive me, or is that you, Mr. Jaegerjaquez?” the woman purred enthusiastically and wove her hand between his elbow and his side. “I was hoping to meet you here last night. I was surprised I didn’t see you at the pre-conference social.”

Shit. He had told Riruka to meet him at a specific time, not right now. It was too damn early to deal with her at the moment. “I was busy last night, Riruka. You were gonna see me later today. Is, uh, what’s his face here?” Grimmjow asked, eyes scanning the crowd.

“Who? Ginjo? Ummm, probably. I don’t really care, do you?” she asked with a smirk.

He waved a hand. “Anyway, Riruka, this is Orihime, my intern and partner. Orihime, this is Riruka, the owner of Dollhouse Designs,” Grimmjow said, making introductions. He hoped the woman would accept the explanation without a fuss.

Orihime’s brows rose. She knew about the Dollhouse Designs account. That was the main reason Grimmjow had ditched her after Thanksgiving. Her nostrils flared and she gave the woman a tight-lipped smile, but offered her hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Riru--”

“Anyway, Grimm, I just can’t wait to get you out of here. It’s so stuffy,” the woman interrupted Orihime, leaning her body into his and looking up into his face much like Orihime had done the night before. “After you do your rounds can we--? You know the drill.”

Of course. Of fucking course she was going to bring it up. “I can’t Riruka. I’m kind of tied down. I’m dating Orihime.” Grimmjow gave the maroon-haired woman a stern gaze. “We’re going to be having lunch with you later, so we can talk about your account then.”

Riruka shook her head and laughed. “Tied down, huh?” she asked, releasing Grimmjow’s arm and smoothing out his suit jacket’s sleeve with both hands. “I’m sorry, I had no idea. How silly of me,” she said, sparing a fake smile for Orihime. “I am looking forward to talking to you both at lunch, then.” 

The older woman then looked back at Grimmjow and winked. “Oh, yes, and if I run into Ginjo I’ll be sure to let him know that you’re here. This is going to be a great conference, I can feel it,” she said in a low, hungry tone before turning around and sauntering back into the big room. “Later.”

Orihime’s jaw just hung on its hinges. What kind of person was this Riruka, and what was she doing with her hands all over her boyfriend?


	15. Chickin Nuggies

“Grimmjow!!” a tall, willowy woman with a pretty face called after a commencement speech. She came trotting over to the couple, without any regard for Orihime, and threw her arms around her boyfriend’s neck. She kissed his cheek! _She whispered something in his ear!_

When the woman pulled back, her hands were still on his shoulders and her eyes were searching his almost shyly, cheeks bright pink. Orihime was shocked, again _._ It was less than twenty minutes ago that Grimmjow was accosted by a client. But it wasn’t until the woman murmured, “You never texted me back last week; I was worried that Kuchiki might send someone else this year,” that Orihime started to grow suspicious.

Grimmjow took a step back from the woman and then gave her a strained smile. “Hey Margo,” he said uncomfortably, giving Orihime a glance. “Yeah, I was busy. Let me introduce you to my partner, Orihime.”

He wanted a hole to swallow him up. To think of how many hookups he had while at this conference in years past made him want to bash his head against a wall. How many of those women were here?

Margo didn’t stop there. She threw Orihime a fake smile and an uninterested, “Hi,” before turning back to Grimmjow. “You weren’t going to spend time with Lucy again, were you?” Potential hurt marred this tall woman’s features.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. “Oh is she here?” he asked, trying to mask the panic in his voice. “I wasn’t planning on it. In fact, we have to go. Strict itinerary to keep. Let’s get some coffee, Orihime.”

Orihime watched this “Margo” contort her face, then turned to follow Grimmjow. But again they didn’t get far.

This time, the woman was young-looking. Long, wavy, honey-colored hair and pale bluish-green eyes looked up from a perfectly bronzed face. She was nearly as short as Orihime. “Grimmjow, I missed you,” she said sweetly, as the crowd kind of parted for her and she somehow managed to be right in Grimmjow’s face. She turned to Orihime and gave her a genuine smile. “Hi, are you from Rotten, too? I’m Lucy McDaniel. I work at Constance Cosmetics.”

Orihime looked at this woman differently. This woman didn’t have the same desperate, horny edge that the others had. She seemed kind. Orihime was still suspicious, but held her hand out to this one. “Hi, I’m Orihime Inoue, it’s nice to meet you, Lucy,” she said tentatively. 

Lucy took the offered hand and her smile softened. “Nice to meet you, too.” She then turned her face back to Grimmjow. “Oh, I forgot to send you the list this year. Brady gets more and more demanding,” she said with a nervous chuckle.

Wonderful. Just wonderful. He blew out a long breath. “If you can get it to me by the end of this, I can have something overnighted to San Fran,” Grimmjow said to the other woman. He glanced at Orihime again, knowing he was going to have to explain himself. 

“Oh, I didn’t know you had any accounts in San Francisco,” Orihime said with a relieved grin. It sounded like this nice lady’s boss was a hardass.

“Oh, no need for that. I’ve been transferred to Chicago, so no rush,” Lucy said, biting her lip and flaring her nostrils a bit, expecting a bit of a reaction from the blue-haired man.

“Oh.” Grimmjow’s stomach dropped to his feet. This conference was just starting out stunningly. It was probably going to end in a shitshow. “So uh, any new photos of him?”

There was no way he was going to come out of this unscathed.

“Oh, sure.” She pulled out her phone and just showed him her lockscreen to start. There was a picture of her and a little blond boy on her lap, about two or three years old. Orihime didn’t know how big kids looked at that age. “You can meet him this week, while you’re in town, if you want. His nanny can meet us anywhere.”

Orihime still wasn’t putting the pieces together. Her eyes went from the phone, to the woman, to Grimmjow, and back to the phone. “He’s adorable, is he yours?” She addressed the question to the woman.

“Yeah,” Grimmjow said before swallowing. He had thought Orihime asked him that question. “I’ll see what my schedule looks like, Luce. Being one of the higher designers for Rotten kind of makes things chaotic.”

The blonde smiled and nodded. “Okay. Let me know,” she said, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze before turning to Orihime and giving her another sweet smile. “I am glad Rotten is investing in a nice young woman like you. Last time I saw him here, they sent him with that awful Karen,” Lucy said, wrinkling her nose and chuckling. “It was good to meet you, Orihime. Enjoy the conference,” she said, putting a soft hand on Orihime’s shoulder.

Orihime just stared as she watched the woman walk away. She felt that the woman was very familiar. She reminded her of herself, but better in every way possible. Softspoken, but impossible to ignore. Kind, but not a pushover. Drop dead beautiful. 

She and Grimmjow had a kid together.

What. The. Fuck.

She just stood there, wishing she could drain into the tile floor and flow away into a crack somewhere. This could not be happening.

Grimmjow cleared his throat and then turned to the redhead. “Um,” he said, trying to figure out what to say. 

Orihime turned to look at her boyfriend in the eye for the first time since meeting Lucy and felt a strong urge to vomit. “I-- I need some water,” was all she managed to stammer.

“Sure.” He gave a nod and grabbed her hand so that he could navigate through the crowd. Grimmjow knew he was in a world of trouble with Orihime at the moment. “I could use a bottle of water too.”

She followed him robotically. There was no way she would be able to process this information properly right here, right now. When they arrived at a refreshment stand, she grabbed a bottle of water and turned to look at the conference center. There were actual industry presentations being held in various corners of the venue, and another area for speeches and lectures. Maybe they could go sit down and pretend to listen to one, and she could pretend she didn’t exist for awhile. “What do you want to do?” she finally asked after taking a long drink.

Grimmjow had downed half of the bottle while Orihime took a look around. “I wanted to listen to that lecture on using different art programs for design. There’s also--Actually, it doesn’t matter. We don’t have to meet anyone until one. We have that lunch with… Riruka.”

Orihime flinched at the woman’s name. “Okay. So…” the questions were starting to swirl around in her brain. She was feeling overwhelmed. “So, um, Lucy seems nice.”

“Yeah, she’s great; nice.” The awkward was growing and Grimmjow shifted. “She’s a good person, like you.”

Orihime nodded. “Probably better than me,” she said without any kind of malice. She really thought so. She was starting to feel a tug toward the part of her brain that told her she was worthless. She set her jaw on edge, her eyes searching more deeply into the crowds of people, trying to escape those thoughts. It wasn’t working.

The man cleared his throat. “Orihime, do you want to go to that Starbucks across the street? You look like--I’m not sure but you probably need a breather.”

She just nodded and set the water bottle down. She was going to cry if she wasn’t very careful. She started toward the exit taking quick but measured steps.

When they exited the conference center, Grimmjow felt his phone buzz, and he pulled it out of his pocket. It was a text from Ulquiorra. He didn’t need this right now. He didn’t need his friend asking about his girlfriend. His girlfriend had enough to deal with. “I guess I should explain.”

Again, all she could do was nod. She could speculate all she wanted, but she needed to hear it from him anyway.

He nodded and waited until they entered the chain coffee shop, then waited for someone to take their order. Grimmjow remained silent until the barista called out, “GRIMMJOE! Wait is that right?”

An irritated sigh left him and he snatched his cup out of the woman’s hand. “Grimmjow.”

“Sorry, handwriting on the cup makes it look like Grimmjoe.”

When they were settled at the table, Grimmjow looked at Orihime. “So, my first year at the conference… I’ve slept with a lot of women, Orihime. I might as well lay that out there.”

She didn’t even know what to say to that. At this point, it was unsurprising. “Well, I didn’t expect you to be a virgin or anything… Your friends may have mentioned that you’ve… People at the office talk.”

“Okay, so, my first year here, there was a party and Karen was with me. She kept making hints that she wanted to sleep with me, but, ew, no. She’s old. I got drunk off my ass and hooked up with some random chick. Luce... The condom broke and I didn’t realize it. She's remained my friend for a while. Even when she told me about Brady.”

“What happened, are you not friends anymore?”

Grimmjow shook his head. “We’re friends. I send her money for Brady but we have our own lives. She’s really successful and she’s a great mom. I don’t interfere in her business. She doesn’t get into mine. She didn’t even want child support from me. Just wants me to be happy and do as much as I can for him.”

Orihime didn’t understand, still. “Do you spend time with him?”

Grimmjow shrugged. “She usually brings him here with a nanny --Lucy can afford it-- and I see him while she’s here. I get pictures once in a while.”

Orihime’s brows pinched. “So you’re a dad, and you never mentioned it. In all the time we’ve been sleeping together… Do your friends know? Does your mom know?”

“Uh, it’s not an important part of my life right now. Brady is doing well with his mom. And no, no one knows.” Grimmjow realized how his words sounded and internally cringed. He sounded like the world’s biggest shithead.

Orihime looked horrified. What kind of person was she dating? “Well…” she really didn’t know what to say. She took a sip of coffee. “Well…” She really was at a loss. “Well he is beautiful,” was the only thing she could say that didn’t sound like a condemnation.

“Thanks.” Another sigh left him. He seemed to be doing that a lot today. “It didn’t make sense to go out to California all the time. Maybe since he’s closer now… I can incorporate Brady into my life. Lucy is happy with our arrangement; I’m not going to fuck that up.”

Orihime nodded and took another sip of her coffee. It sounded like excuses. Sure, now that it was convenient, he might be bothered to think about his own son. “Careful with that. Kids get confused,” she said. She sat back after that. This was a lot to take in. She looked at him, and for the first time, she saw someone she wasn’t sure she liked. “You should have told me,” she said in a low voice.

“I haven’t even told my mother. I didn’t think it’d be an issue,” Grimmjow replied. He took a large gulp of his coffee, mouth twisting at the bitterness of the drink. “Maybe I should have, but you--” He didn’t want to point fingers. It wasn’t her fault that her mother was the way she was.

She assumed he was going somewhere else with this. “I what? I wouldn’t have been able to deal with your past? Maybe not, but c’mon. Everyone’s got history,” she said, pointing to herself. “You’re dealing with Louise. I would have dealt with Brady…” She trailed off. Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn’t, but she felt she should have been given the option.

“I didn’t want the information to get out to other people. If Lucy knew I hung around people like Nnoitra, or any of my other friends, I wouldn’t have the option to be in Brady’s life.”

Orihime sighed. He was right about that. Shit. If she knew about Louise… Orihime sighed again and nodded her head. “Do you _want_ to be in their lives?”

Grimmjow gave her a level stare. “I want to be in Brady’s life. I do not want to be in Lucy’s. She’s a bit too perfect for me.”

“What do you mean by that?” It seemed like a loaded statement.

How deep was the hole that he dug himself? Was it big enough to bury himself? “We tried to make it work, but she’s so damn… perfect… everything was too perfect for me. Can you imagine her meeting Ellen? Or Ulquiorra?”

“Ellen, No.” She withheld her opinion on Ulquiorra. “I guess I’m screwed up enough, huh?”

Nope. He had to dig deeper. “You’re perfect for me, Orihime. No one said you were screwed up.”

She frowned. If she was so perfect for him, he would have been honest with her. She didn’t seem to know him at all. She breathed quickly as she thought about it. It wouldn’t do to make any rash decisions. “Why do you think that, Grimmjow?” she finally asked, then hid her mouth behind her cup.

“Because you know who I am. I can be myself around you. You don’t mind my friends or my activities,” Grimmjow explained, staring at his coffee cup. “You weren’t a random hookup, Orihime. I’ve gotten to know you.”

She took a deep breath and released it slowly. What he said resonated with her. “Still, you’ve got to understand how I feel right now, right? It’s like I just got run over by a truckful of unexpected information.”

“What about when your mom showed up? Don’t you think I felt the same way?” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. “And then finding out you bought drugs for her?”

She closed her eyes and counted to five in her head. When she opened them, she said, “I warned you about her. I told you she was an addict and that I never wanted you to meet her. I’m sorry you had to. I have no excuse for myself, but as you’ve pointed out, I’m not perfect.”

“You don’t have to be perfect, Orihime. You’re fine as you are,” Grimmjow retorted. He crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t ask you to explain or justify anything concerning your mother. I’ve helped you when you’ve needed it concerning her.”

“Yes, you have. Thank you,” she said. She felt defeated. There was nothing she could say. He had the upper hand. “Grimmjow…” her lip twisted. She felt like maybe his interest in his son was really something that was just situational, and as much as it was something she didn’t admire, he was still the same guy. Maybe it was none of her business. She wasn’t sure.

“What Orihime?”

She looked up at his eyes and studied them for a moment. Her heart stuttered. “I love you.”

He gave her a small but strained smile. “Love you too,” he said.

Did he?

***

They went back and watched a presentation about design software updates and another about networking tools, and then had the Dollhouse Designs lunch. They met at a sushi bar, and Orihime rolled her eyes. Riruka had a bit of a weeaboo vibe. Of course she wanted sushi.

When Grimmjow gave his name to the hostess, they were led to a booth in a dark, private spot in the restaurant. A large man with slick dark hair sat there, but Riruka was nowhere to be found. “Grimmjow, ya dumb bastard! It’s been awhile! And who do we have here? You can sit next to me, little lady. Name’s Ginjo,” the man said, standing up and holding a hand out to Orihime.

She wore what felt like the seventy-fifth shocked expression of the day, which slowly morphed into a tense smile, but her eyes went to Grimmjow’s, begging for rescue. “I’m Orihime, nice to meet you,” she said nervously.

“Hey Ginjo. This is Orihime, my partner. Orihime this is Ginjo Kugo. He’s… He’s an asshole,” Grimmjow stated. He rolled his eyes at Ginjo’s attempt at flirting and sat down. “Where’s Riruka?”

There was some kind of appetizer on the table that Ginjo tore into unceremoniously before he started speaking with his mouth full, “Um, she got held up. She saw you talk to that Margo slut from 10-4 Couriers and decided to assert her dominance,” he said, laughing before he swallowed.

This man was a pig. He was disgusting to Orihime. He was _just_ handsome enough that a lot of other women probably overlooked it, though. But no amount of nice features was enough to mask his lack of manners and lecherous attitude for Orihime. She was glad she ignored the man’s invitation to sit next to him, and scooted closer to her boyfriend. He’d called her his partner several times today. She was going to have to ask him about that later. She put a hand on his thigh.

Grimmjow gave Orihime a quick smirk before turning back to Ginjo. “Yeah, I talked to Margo. What am I supposed to do? Ignore her? What if she wants another design or media campaign done? Byakuya would kill me.”

“Hey, whatever. I don’t care. You know how she is, though. Has to be queen bitch all day everyday. I don’t know why she doesn’t let Margo join us, though. It could be like the year before last, when we all ended up in the penthouse, right?” he said, smiling widely and then flashing his brows at Orihime. “Your new treat could join us. We could show her how we have fun at these things.”

The hand on Grimmjow’s leg gripped tightly for a second.

“Not this year, man. Orihime is my girlfriend, and you know I don’t share.” The reply was light but he glared at the other male.

Ginjo curled his lip and tsked. “Yeah, but you don’t mind sharing other people’s. Hypocrite.” Then he took a drink of whatever was in his glass and added, “Does Riruka know she’s your girlfriend?”

Just then the woman in question appeared. “Move it,” she said, hip-checking Ginjo’s arm and settling in next to him. “She’s your girlfriend? Since when?” Riruka laughed and looked at Orihime with an unspoken challenge in her gaze.

“Since this past summer,” Grimmjow said, his mouth turning into a thin line. “Don’t make an issue of this, Riruka.”

Riruka raised an eyebrow at him. “I wouldn’t dream of it. It’s not an issue to me, anyway. We’re just here on professional matters,” she said, a tiny smirk tugging at one side of her mouth as she looked down at her menu and trailed a foot against Grimmjow’s shin under the table.

The entire lunch continued in the matter, Riruka and Ginjo making thinly veiled propositions to both Orihime and Grimmjow. Grimmjow did his best to indicate his lack of interest while not pissing of his biggest client. Orihime just tried to keep her mouth shut and her eyes from rolling.

When it was over and goodbyes were said, Orihime sighed deeply. “I just want to go lie down. Even if it’s only for a little bit. Is there anyone else we need to meet right now?”

Grimmjow shook his head and sighed. “Not until later,” he said. “We’ll go back to the hotel. I’m sorry about them.”

Orihime shrugged. It was just the icing on the cake of a mind fuck of a day. “It is what it is, I guess,” she said, leading the way back.

Did Grimmjow feel bad about what had happened already? Slightly, but all that bullshit was in the past. Orihime couldn’t hold it against him. He tried not to seem annoyed by her attitude. This conference was about his career, and while his off hours of the talks and demonstrations were spent having fun with other people, Grimmjow was focused on learning his trade. His girlfriend wasn’t even interested in graphic design or advertising. “Do you want to go back to Evanston? You don’t seem like you want to be here.”

She scowled gently. “It’s not that. It is just that I was not expecting all this… These people,” she said delicately, stopping herself from saying _women_. “They all know you.” She could see that he was not happy. “Don’t let me stop you from going back. I just need, like, an hour to decompress and then I’ll come back down to the conference center, okay?”

“Fine. There’s a panel about handling tough clients I want to attend. Just text me when you come back down,” Grimmjow replied.

She nodded and took his hand, holding it the rest of the way to the hotel, which was only about a block and a half. He didn’t really respond the way he normally did, and when she relaxed her grip right outside the hotel doors, his dropped quickly. 

Oh well.

“I’ll see you soon,” she murmured, going straight for the elevators.

The blue-haired man just nodded and turned to where there were a group of people standing around. 

***

“Hey,” she said to him, taking the empty seat beside him and smiling. “I’m surprised your friend isn’t with you.”

Blue eyes glanced at the blonde woman beside him. “Eh? Orihime? She’s, uh, not happy with me at the moment. She went up to our room to pout or something. I don’t know. Why are you surprised?” Grimmjow asked Lucy.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s not nice to say. I’m surprised because you were acting really close before. She seems sweet,” Lucy answered, crossing her legs toward Grimmjow and relaxing her eyes.

“Well she’s all bent out of shape upon finding out about Brady. She’s mad because I hooked up with people and I’m popular,” Grimmjow replied. “She’s a sweet girl, if a bit… naive.”

“Well of course she’s naive. We all were naive, once upon a time,” Lucy said with a small chuckle and bumped her shoulder into the side of his arm once. “Why didn’t you tell her about Brady?”

“Brady isn’t a big thing. It’s no one’s business. Unless she is going to be around longer, then I was going to tell her. She probably thinks I’m a terrible guy anyway for not being a father to him.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m sure it was a big shock, though. How long have you been together?”

Grimmjow mimicked the gesture. “She was the summer intern this year and it kind of got out of hand because one of my friends has feelings for her. I just wanted to keep her away from him.” As Grimmjow spoke he felt an understanding dawning on him. Well fuck. This was just fucking perfect. “I think I’ve told you about Ulquiorra, yeah?”

Her eyes darted toward the ceiling. “I remember the name, for sure. I don’t exactly remember anything else. Refresh me?” she said, glancing back at him.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes in a good natured way. “The multi-millionaire guy who runs the coffee shop and pretends he’s normal.”

She grinned at him, and for a moment her glance dropped to his mouth before she chuckled darkly, “Don’t we all _pretend_ to be normal?”

A smirk crossed his lips. He laughed along with her. “You are the normalest person here, Lucy.”

A single brow rose and she shook her head, inhaling sharply. “That is not saying much,” she teased, then relaxed. “It’s good to see you, Grimmjow. You seem… I don’t know. You seem more mature. Anyway, I digress. Tell me about this friend and the intern.”

Grimmjow dropped the friendly expression and gave the mother of his child a long look. “So I was screwing her and RBM was just using Hime as the coffee girl. I’ve known Ulq for a long time. I’ve seen him get attached to people. Anyway, he told me he wanted her, and I kind of hung onto Orihime since then. I think… I think that’s part of my attraction to her, because Ulquiorra can’t have her.”

“And I just said you were more mature… Spoke too soon, I guess, “she said, chuckling again, but she was kind about it. “That’s not a good reason to stay with someone. If she’s as naive as you say, you could really hurt her.”

A sigh. A scowl. Grimmjow knew the woman sitting beside him was right. But he had been hanging on this long, what was a little longer? “She says she loves me,” he said in a quiet voice.

Lucy’s bottom lip pressed into her upper one as she tilted her head and studied Grimmjow a bit. Her hair spilled over one shoulder, and a waft of her perfume invaded the space between them. It was the same one she always wore. “You don’t, though, do you?”

“I mean I care for her, but it’s not that deep. Not yet. I mean, you know why I don’t get attached. My mom met her already, and it almost broke us up,” Grimmjow said. The scent coming off of Lucy was enough to drag him back into old memories. “It’s why I hadn’t told her about Brady. I don’t know if she’s gonna stick around.”

Lucy nodded and faced forward for a moment. “It makes sense to me. I don’t introduce Brady to anyone. He has me, Courtney -his nanny- and my parents. More my parents, now that I’m back in Chicago; they love him,” she said with a smile. “You should come over some time.”

Grimmjow mulled this thought over in his head. Yeah, he should go visit Brady. He still didn’t know if introducing Orihime was a good idea. “I don’t know. I kind of want to, but at the same time… there’s Orihime.”

“Why’s that a problem? I’m not suggesting you chose between them, or that you bring her with. Especially if you’re not sure about your relationship with her. You don’t know Brady. He doesn’t know you. I don’t know what kind of relationship you envision yourself having with him in the future, but I think it’s good for him to see you and know that you’re his father and at least have an interest in who he is. He’s getting to an age where he is starting to understand that he doesn’t have what most kids have.”

She was right. He didn’t know his son and his son didn’t know him. All he was was the guy who bought big and flashy toys for different occasions. He might have seen Brady once a year since he arrived in the world. “I’ll come visit him soon. Maybe you can bring him up to Evanston if you ever get a day off,” Grimmjow finally replied. “I know I’m being an ass about this whole thing with Orihime, but I think there’s something going on between her and Ulquiorra. I just want him to stay away from her.”

Lucy pursed her lips again. “Why do you care so much? If you’re not that into her, I mean. Has she given you any reason to doubt you? Has she cheated on you before?”

“Nnoitra, the asshole guy, he sent me pics of Hime and Ulq having a drink and then going to her apartment. On Halloween, he went after her and I just gave him enough rope to hang himself. He sends her flowers every fucking day she works.” Grimmjow sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. “There’s doubt concerning Ulquiorra. I don’t know about Orihime.”

The woman’s eyes went wide. “Holy crap, I’d say. Wow. She doesn’t tell him to stop?”

“She thinks the flowers are from me. I don’t know if she’s ever told him to stop.”

Lucy’s shoulders relaxed. “Well, you just said she’s naive. Maybe she doesn’t realize he’s into her. Who knows. I guess you would, but I can’t help you there, sorry to say.”

“Enough about me, Luce. Who’s in your life?” Grimmjow said waving a hand as if that would dismiss the entire subject. 

“Brady. He is my one and only,” she answered, her cheeks coloring and a soft, loving expression taking over her features as she flipped her phone over, displaying her lockscreen for a moment. She was quiet for a few seconds, and when she looked back up at Grimmjow, her eyes were a bit glassy. “We did a good thing, Grimm.”

Seeing the emotion on the woman’s face was enough to tug at his heartstrings. Grimmjow wanted to see his son. He wanted to talk to Brady and interact with him. “You busy tomorrow night?” he asked.

She shook her head. “You want to come over and see him? I can let Courtney go early.”

“You read me easily don’tcha,” he asked with a flirty smile. Grimmjow nodded. “Yeah, I want to see him, if that’s okay with you.”

She grinned. “If you bring us McDonald’s, you’ll already be the king of his universe, just a tip.”

Grimmjow laughed. “Chicken nuggets or cheeseburger happy meal?”

***

The next day of the conference started and Grimmjow attended the talks that he wanted. He attended certain demonstrations. Sometimes Orihime was by his side, other times she did he own thing. As the first day, he was just as popular the second day with various people coming up to him and talking to him enthusiastically. 

When the last lecture was over, Grimmjow found Orihime. “Hey, I’m going to head up to the room. I’ve got to get ready for a meeting,” he told her.

“Oh, okay. Where are we going?” she asked, walking beside him with a small smile. After she had come back down to the conference later the previous afternoon, he had been a bit standoffish. She realized she had been acting like a baby, and she was trying to make up for it today.

“Uh,” he trailed off, losing his train of thought. Shit. He might as well come clean with the information. “Um, it’s just gonna be me tonight. I’ve got a meeting with Lucy that I need to attend. I would bring you, but we both agreed to… Brady is going to be there.”

“Oh,” she said softly, pausing for a moment as she took in this tidbit. She recovered a moment later and said, “Oh, okay. I guess that makes sense.”

Grimmjow gave her a small but strained smile. “Thanks for understanding, Hime.”

She took in a breath that only shook a little bit. “Take some pictures?”

“I will,” Grimmjow said. Once they got up to their room, he took a shower and got ready to go. Instead of business attire, he was dressed in a casual outfit of jeans and a v-neck t-shirt. “I’ll let you know when I’ll be back. I want to spend as much time with him as I can before I go back to Evanston, okay?”

Orihime nodded. “Of course. You look nice,” she said with a smile. He still seemed standoffish. She was trying to thaw the ice.

Grimmjow smiled at her and nodded. “Thanks,” he stated. “You did a good job today with handling things.” He had no clue what to say to Orihime. “I’ll let you know how it goes. If you want something to eat, you can order room service or I can give you the RBM credit card.”

“I might go down to the hotel restaurant and draw or something, I don’t know,” she said, twisting her lips a bit. She didn’t get down to Chicago much and didn’t want to waste it sitting in a boring hotel room by herself. At least if she went downstairs she could see some lights or something.

He nodded, but wasn’t really listening. Instead, Grimmjow pulled out his wallet and took out the company credit card so that he could hand it to Orihime. When she took it, Grimmjow gave her a kiss on the cheek then left the hotel room.

He was gone. So quickly. Maybe he was nervous? She tried not to get too upset as she looked at the closed door. Her thoughts started swirling. This was no good. Maybe she needed a drink. She decided a shower was a good idea. She could dress in something that let her fade into the background and eat and drink on RBM’s dime. It sounded like a solid plan, especially since she only had to lug the iPad Grimmjow had gifted to her.

***

“Welcome, hope you found the place okay,” Lucy said, opening the door for Grimmjow and stepping aside before turning her head. “Oh, Brady! We have a special visitor!”

A child who appeared tall for his three years of age, with chubby cheeks and a dinosaur toy in his hand, came stomping into the room. “Bwoo! It’s Bwoo hayo!”

Lucy laughed and turned back to Grimmjow. “Uh, you’ll have to excuse me. I let him have a picture of you and that’s what he calls you. Blue Hair.”

Grimmjow smiled at the woman before he stepped into the apartment. He wiped his feet on the rug and proceeded to take off his coat. A bag in his hand hindered this process. “Oh, this is for you guys. Happy meal and milk are for Brady.”

“Excellent. I’ll take that, and you can meet us at the table. Guess what Blue Hair brought us?” she said, showing Brady the bag.

"McDonald’s!” the boy jumped up and down a few times and ran over to his booster chair. “Did I get a toy?”

“I think you did, Blue Hair wouldn’t _not_ get you a toy, right?” Lucy answered, pulling items out of the bag and smiling over to Grimmjow. “Did you want a beer or a water or something?”

Grimmjow grinned and shrugged off his coat. “Do you have somewhere I can put this?” he asked. The Blue Hair thing was cute. “Um, Luce, does he not know… Does he not know I’m his… you know...”

“Um, well,” she said, going over to him and taking his coat, opening a closet near the entrance to hang it up. “I haven’t exactly had that conversation with him? He’s kind of young to really understand. It’s up to you if you want to introduce yourself as his dad. I think he won’t be super overwhelmed or anything, like I said, I don’t really know if he gets it yet,” she said to him so that their son wouldn’t hear. “I don’t see any harm in it if, y’know… If you want to make this a thing, I think he should know the truth sooner than later.”

“I would like to make this a thing, if you’re going to stick around, you know?” Grimmjow looked at the blonde woman with a hopeful glint in his eye before he looked around for their child. He must have run off to the table. “Brady?”

“What?” the kid called back. “Bwoo Heyo, do you like McDonald’s too?”

Grimmjow scoffed lightly in an amused way and then made his smile bigger. “Show me around Luce. I want to see him.”

She led the way to the kitchen table. “As you can see, Mr. Brady Scott Jaegerjaquez-McDaniel is very efficient,” she said, holding a hand out to the child who already had a nugget stuffed into his mouth. “Have a seat. Drink?”

“Sure, what do you have that will pair well with a Big Mac?” Grimmjow said with a teasing grin.

“Oooh, my sommelier skills are going to be put to the test, here,” she teased, sticking her head in the fridge for a minute. “Oh, can’t go wrong with Lemon LaCroix or Corona. That’s what I have in my fridge, anyway. Unless you’re up for some two-day old prosecco or 2% milk. What’s your pleasure?”

“I’ll take a Corona,” Grimmjow replied. He sat down in a chair and watched the little boy gobble chicken nuggets with gusto. “Can I take a photo of you Braids?”

The boy didn’t respond with a yes or a no, simply said “Cheese” and gave an face-splitting grin.

“He’s had some practice,” his mother said, setting the beer in front of Grimmjow. She had already put a slice of lime into it and was doing the same for a bottle of her own. She sat beside him and waited for the photo.

There was a brief smile at Lucy before Grimmjow had his phone out, snapping photos of the boy and his mother. Then he got a photo of all three of them. “You know Lucy, we did do a good thing.”

“I do know,” she said, a wise grin on her face as she clinked her bottle to his.


	16. In the Loop

Usually when she drew in public, she watched the people around her and drew them. This time, she really didn’t want to do that. She sat at her hightop table near the bar and scowled, keeping the other conference attendees away with it. The only one who approached her was Ginjo, but since Grimmjow was nowhere to be found, Riruka dragged him off somewhere, blessedly.

Now she had a tab open with an order to keep the “In the Loop” martinis coming. She had ordered it because of the play on words, referencing the Chicago Loop. She didn’t realize that it was mostly whiskey. 

His whiskey.

She let the flavor of Maker’s Mark pull her memories back to those times at Starrk’s. She let the memories of Ulquiorra’s face guide her pen on the tablet. She’d let the ideas pour out of her until Grimmjow got back.

By the time the bar closed, she could barely walk. She had had about five of the martinis and she wobbled her way to the elevator and back up to the room and promptly threw up. After her stomach settled and she was able to keep some water down, she looked at the alarm clock.

It was well past midnight. Where the fuck was Grimmjow?

She sent a text asking if everything was alright and got no response.

She decided to brush her teeth and take another shower. She didn’t want to smell like vomit when he came back.

Two o’clock in the morning and that still hadn’t happened. She was still pretty drunk, too.

What better time to get on the internet?

She was just about done with her blogpost, and was debating whether to hit submit or delete it, when she heard her phone chime. Thinking it was Grimmjow, she dove over to look at her phone.

  * I know it’s been a week but I miss talking to you. I hope you’re not too mad about what happened. I hope everything is okay. Ulq.



Huh.

  * Well, not really, but it is what it is, I guess. I’m not mad. I’m used to it. Louise ruins everything. You don’t have to feel guilty or whatever, everyone leaves.



Yeah, she was pretty drunk. She decided to screw it and submit her blog post as-is.

  * I don’t feel guilty about anything. I’ve been up for hours thinking about you. We are friends and I care about your wellbeing, Orihime. I never said I was going to leave you. I couldn’t do that.



She got his return text after she posted it. She was confused. What did he think, sending this now, after all this time? She sat and stared at it, trying to decide on a response. She finally made a decision.

  * Why?



There was a notification on her iPad that her post had published.

12.12.19

**Chicago, IL, Hyatt Regency BIG Bar: In the Loop**

_It’s not Coffee. It might be sadness. It is Maker’s Mark and raspberry and lemon and bitters, and the bitters are sharp. It’s a taste that grows on you, though. At least it grows on me._

_It’s no perfect cup, but it’ll do. It should, for $14 a glass._

_Anyway, this is a great place for losing your thoughts and watching the city lights mock you. Try it if you’re ever in the mood to question everything you ever thought you knew._

_Today’s playlist: Little Lies - Fleetwood Mac. Helplessly Hoping - Crosby Stills & Nash, A Bitter Song - Butterfly Boucher_

Ulquiorra’s response came about seven minutes later.

  * Because you never need to doubt me. Because I won’t make you bitter. Because I’ll never make you question your reality.



She read that and scoffed. He had no idea.

  * You already do. You make me ask myself lots of questions.



Another lull in response time. 

  * Like what?



She saw the question as she was nodding off and decided she couldn’t type. She called him.

A tired but smooth voice answered the phone. “Hello, Orihime.”

She only whispered back. “Like why you would want to be my friend after we made a scene in your shop. Like why I always want to draw you. Like why I feel like I can trust you better than I trust my own boyfriend, even if we weren’t friends anymore.”

A sigh answered her for a moment. “Orihime… I don’t care that you made a scene, but your mother is a… she’s a lunatic. I don’t know why you want to draw me; I’m nothing special. I don’t know why you feel that way. All I know is that I want to be close to you and not seeing you or hearing any information about you has led me to many sleepless nights.”

“But I’m nobody, Ulquiorra. You’ve got your people and your shop and your ties and…” she kind of ran out of steam and took a long breath. “I’m just me. I can’t escape her.”

“You’re someone I want to be with, Orihime.”

“Why?” she began to cry. She wanted to believe that someone would. She could only keep remembering the look on his face when he told her to leave, though.

Ulquiorra let out a long exhale. “I cannot tell you at the moment. You wouldn’t listen to it because you’re with Grimmjow. In the future, should your circumstances change, I will tell you,” he said. “Do not cry, though.”

She sniffled and whimpered. “I can’t help it. The people here… And Grimmjow… and Lucy, and now you…” a small sob choked her for a second. She shouldn’t have called him when she was this drunk, she realized. She wasn’t making any sense, not to him at least. “You don’t have to listen to this. You need to get some rest. I’ll probably pass out pretty soon anyway; I don’t think he’s coming back.” 

“Who is Lucy? Who isn’t coming back? Isn’t Grimmjow there with you? What about the people there?” Ulquiorra asked, his tone concerned.

“Lucy is perfect. She’s so nice and pretty and perfect. He went there tonight and hasn’t come back.” She sighed. “The other people are just obnoxious but they remind me that we’re not in the same league.”

“Those people are probably older than you. Once you gain your footing in the world, you’ll be in your own league. No one is perfect. This Lucy is probably a basic bitch who likes pumpkin spice and minter.”

“No, she’s not. She’s great. She’s smart and successful and independent and a great mom. She’s gorgeous and kind and looks at you like she really sees you, you know?” Orihime sounded a bit like _she_ might have a crush on Lucy, but it was just the way the whiskey made her talk about everything in the superlative.

“A great mom? What does that have to do with Grimmjow?”

“I can’t tell you. Ellen can’t find out. I wasn’t supposed to find out,” she said, her voice falling off in dejection as she reminded herself that he didn’t think enough of her or their relationship to tell her about Brady.

Ulquiorra was silent for a moment. “You should get some sleep, Woman.”

She nodded. He probably didn’t want to talk anymore. She knew calling was a mistake. “I’m sorry, Ulquiorra. I’m sorry for my Mom and I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“You’re not a bother to me, Orihime. You sound tired and upset. Once you sleep, you might wake up and everything might be better then.”

“Mmhmm,” she hummed her agreement, although she knew nothing would be better in the morning. “I’m sure you’re right. I’m sure you’re right. Goodnight, Ulquiorra.”

“Goodnight Orihime.”

***

“One more? Pwease?” the boy asked, yawning and wiggling into Grimmjow’s side.

When Lucy gave him the okay to be a dad, Grimmjow took it. He gave the kid a bath and got him ready for bed. His son gave him the same face that Grimmjow made when something displeased him. It came up when Grimmjow said he would only read five books to him. 

He tucked Brady into his bed and then laid beside him, opening the first book. It was sometime during the fourth book that his eyes began to get heavy. He had to struggle to stay awake. The next thing he knew it was morning because his alarm was going off. 

“Shit,” Grimmjow mumbled as he sat up. Fuck! He was so screwed. Orihime would probably be pissed off at him. 

Lucy opened the door to Brady’s room and saw that he was awake. “Hey, sorry, I couldn’t disturb you two, you looked too cute. I have some coffee in a to-go cup for you. Also I’ll send you the pics I took of you two sleeping together. I almost got pregnant again just by looking at them,” she said with a giggle.

Grimmjow groaned before he stood up and stretched. “Of course you got pics of it,” he said, walking towards her. He obviously wasn’t awake completely as he kissed her cheek as he walked past the blonde. “Bathroom, and then I’ll take my coffee and get out of your hair.”

“You’re not in my hair,” she murmured in a dreamy voice, but let him get going.

Grimmjow did as he said and then hung around for a minute. “So, I kind of want to make this a regular thing,” he said as he took the coffee from Lucy.

“We would both like that. I’m going to wake him up if you want to tell him you’ll see him soon?” she suggested and asked at the same time.

“Yeah,” Grimmjow said with a nod. He gave the woman a smile. “That sounds great. I want to tell him that.”

She simply smiled and went over to the sleeping child, kissed his cheek and whispered something into his hair. A moment later, a messy blond head popped up. “Bwoo Heyo has to go?”

Grimmjow walked over to the bed and ruffled the kid’s blond hair. “Yeah buddy, Dad--Dad has to go do some work, but I will see you soon. Okay?”

“Can we have McDonald’s?” the kid asked with big, round blue eyes. 

“That’s up to your mom,” the blue-haired man replied. “Give me a high five, okay?”

The boy stood up on his bed and high-fived Grimmjow, before launching himself at him and wrapping his little arms around his neck. “Bwady and Bwoo Heyo are best fwends, wight?”

Grimmjow hugged the kid tightly and then looked at his mother. “Yeah, we’re best friends, Braids. I love you, kiddo.”

“I wuv you too. Bye bye!” the kid said with a wide smile.

***

Grimmjow walked into the hotel room and sighed.

Orihime was sitting on the bed with a bottle of aspirin and a water bottle on the side of a room service tray. There was a half-eaten english muffin and a bottle of gatorade on it. “He lives,” she said in a dull voice.

“I can explain. I fell asleep reading stories to Brady,” he said. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

She closed her eyes and began to shake her head, then put her palm over her forehead and groaned. “Ugh, no, I’m hungover. Do you want this English Muffin? I can’t eat it. Why didn’t you let me know you were-- Nevermind, you just said. I was really worried,” she said, the pain in her head keeping her voice and emotions subdued.

Grimmjow shook his head. “I’m sorry. I fell asleep. I didn’t wake up until my alarm went off this morning. Why are you hungover?”

“The hotel bar has these drinks that taste a lot smoother than they are,” she lied. She didn’t want to get into it when she felt so shitty. “I went there for a sandwich and fries and had a few cocktails with it while I drew and when I got up to come back up here I could barely walk. It was not fun,” she said, peeking at him from under her hand with a contrite grimace.

An unhappy look crossed his face. That wasn’t like Orihime to get smashed like that. “Ah, well, I’m gonna get a shower and get ready for today. Or do you want to take a shower first?”

“I think I took three showers last night, go ahead. I should be better once I get this gatorade in me,” she replied. “I’m glad you’re back safely,” she added in a softer tone.

“I was never unsafe,” Grimmjow commented. “But thank you, Orihime. I hope you feel better soon.”

She watched him walk into the bathroom and then closed her eyes. He was different. She had a bad feeling about this, but there was really nothing she could do. Maybe everything would go back to normal once they were in Evanston. She drank some more of her brightly-colored drink and got out of bed, deciding to get dressed. She was curious about how it went, so she walked over to the bathroom door as she was zipping up her skirt and tried to open the bathroom door a crack.

It was locked.

She sighed and tried to speak through it. “How was it with your son?” she asked as loud as she could tolerate.

“It was good. Brady calls me Blue Hair,” Grimmjow called back. “He loves chicken nuggets and wants to read six books at bed time.”

Her lips twisted into a bittersweet smile. “That’s cute. Your lucky number, huh?”

There came a laugh from the bathroom. “Yeah. He’s really smart and likes dinosaurs. Lucy has been raising him well.”

“No surprise, she seems to have it together,” Orihime commented. “How did it make you feel?”

Grimmjow was silent for a few moments. He had locked the door because he didn’t want Orihime coming in here and giving him the third degree or going through his pockets. There was nothing there that suggested that anything bad happened, but he didn’t want to deal with her at the moment. He couldn’t. “It made me feel like I missed out on a lot. I want to be there for him in the future, you know?”

She was quiet for a long moment while she thought about his answer. How would she feel in his situation? She couldn’t really imagine, but she thought it would be similar. She chewed on the insides of her cheeks and decided to put her own feelings to the side and deal with him as a friend for the moment, instead of as a boyfriend. “Yeah, I get it. I would probably feel the same. It’s good that they live here now, right?”

He didn’t say anything as he finished showering. It took him another minute to wrap a towel around his waist and then open the door. Steam billowed out behind him. “It is a good thing. I get to see him more. Are you going to be okay with that?”

She looked at him and lowered her brows for a minute. There was no reason for him to treat her like an adversary. “It’s not a matter of me being okay with it or not. He’s a kid.”

“You’re my girlfriend though. The most I’ve seen Brady is probably a couple hours for the past three years. I want to get to know him, Orihime.”

“I get it. You should. I am not going to get in the way of that, what kind of person would I be if I did?”

“Thank you.” Grimmjow pulled the woman close and hugged her, not caring if he was dripping water onto her or not. At that moment he was grateful and appreciated Orihime’s mentality when it came to this situation.

She was surprised by his quick change in attitude and melted into his hug. “You’re welcome,” she murmured, letting her arms wrap around his wet waist. “This is all so new to me. I’m sorry if I’m acting weird about it. It’s just… Wow. You’re a dad,” she said, a small bit of mirth in her voice as that fact finally settled on her. 

“It was a shock to me too when I found out. I’m just glad Lucy has been gracious with all this,” Grimmjow murmured. He held onto his girlfriend for a moment longer before he took a step back. “Let me finish getting ready and we can get some breakfast or some coffee.”

Orihime nodded. Things would be okay. This was just a bump in the road. “I’ll be dressed in a second and then I need to clean up a bit, so hopefully I won’t keep you waiting. Or you can go grab a table and I can meet you down there,” she offered.

“I’ll wait for you.”

***

Ulquiorra stood behind the counter inside Coffee & Sadness. He was exhausted. He hadn’t slept much since the thing with Orihime happened. He kept thinking about that kiss. He kept thinking about how she felt under his hands. It was driving him mad. 

Orihime was wrong. She was somebody to him. She was almost everything to him, and they weren’t even together. She was _just_ his friend. 

Grimmjow and Orihime would be back from Chicago soon. Ulquiorra planned to ask a whole bunch of questions. 

He gave a heavy sigh then pulled his phone out of his pocket, deciding to text the redhead.

  * Are things better today?



Orihime has been making nice with a potential client while Grimmjow was off schmoozing another one. She hated doing this. She hated being fake. It wasn’t being nice to these people that bothered her; it was faking her way through talking about Rotten’s brand management practices like she had a clue about what they were. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket and finished her conversation before excusing herself and reading Ulquiorra’s message.

She had forgotten much of their conversation and scrolled up to reread it. Huh. She had been feeling worse than she thought.

  * well, I’m not drunk now. I think the daylight helps put things in perspective. I’m sorry for keeping you up.



He glared at the device in his hand then began tapping out another message.

  * You always keep me up. Come in when you get back. Please.



That made her chest tight. An invitation. 

  * Is it still Minter? Even if it is… I’ll be there.



There was a hint of a smile that made his disgruntled expression fade. 

  * I need a taste tester for white chocolate lattes and marshmallow hot chocolate. You’re the best person for this job.



She laughed out loud.

  * yeah? I’ll put it on my resume. Ulquiorra? Thanks for making me smile.



He glanced around before he snapped a photo of his smile for her. He sent it along with another message.

  * You make me smile too. 



***

The rest of the day went smoothly. It turned out that Orihime was not the only one hungover that day. Riruka and Ginjo barely bothered the brightly-haired couple when they ran into them later that day.

“You missed a good time last night, Jaeger-Jack,” Ginjo muttered.

“I was having my own good time, Ginjo. This conference is an opportunity, not a fuckfest.” Grimmjow gave the man a disapproving stare before he took a sip of coffee. It was shit. He wanted to go back home and get some Coffee & Sadness coffee.

“How _mature,_ Grimmjow,” Riruka retorted, rolling her eyes. “You were singing a different tune last year. But anyway, I’ve got you on my calendar for right before Christmas, right?”

“Tch, I ain’t your Christmas present this year.”

Riruka smirked. “I haven’t even given you my list, yet. C’mon, Ginjo. I’m sure Grimm and his little poptart have rounds to make. See ya,” she said with a small wave before sauntering away.

Grimmjow scoffed again and then turned to look at Orihime. “What a bitch,” he stated.

“I don’t even know if that word begins to describe it,” Orihime said, watching the pink-haired woman with wide eyes.

The man grumbled some more. “I’m glad we’ll be going home soon. Then I’ll only have to deal with Riruka through calls and texts and emails.”

Orihime wrinkled her nose. “Is she always this obnoxious?”

“And then some. It’s why Kuchiki gave me her account.”

“Wow. Why does he hate you so much?” she said with a little giggle. She was just teasing him.

Grimmjow shrugged and in a nonchalant tone said, “I fuck all the interns. He has to deal with people bitching about me. I’m an asshole to everyone I don’t want to fuck, which that is like the entire building recently. Uh, I’m too good at my job to fire… I can handle the asshole clients.”

The cheer drained from her face. “Well, then. I guess those are some reasons. How much longer do we have to stay here? I’m exhausted,” she said, changing the subject. She didn’t want to be reminded how much he had fucked.

“Check out time is tomorrow morning. If you want to go back tonight we can,” Grimmjow said to her. “Do you want to go tonight?”

“Yeah. Actually,” then she stopped and remembered that the conference wasn’t the only reason he was here anymore. “Well… If you want to meet up with Brady again tonight I’m not going to make you leave.”

Grimmjow shook his head. “Nah, I’ll facetime with him once we’re home. I don’t want to wear out my welcome too quick. I might come down here next week though and spend the day with him.” He gave Orihime a small smile. “Let’s get packed and get out of here.”

***

The next morning Orihime had more pep in her step. She had slept over at Grimmjow’s the night before; still not ready to face her mother. She got ready and went to the office and immediately went around for coffee orders.

“Susan! I’m back! I’m getting coffee!” she said from the older woman’s office door in an enticing manner.

“Great, Orhime. I will have the… The…” she trailed off, not exactly focused.

“The non-coffee latte with peppermint?” Orihime suggested.

“Oh, yes, with like three sugar packets. That sounds perfect, thank you.” Susan said, briefly looking up at her.

Orihime chuckled. She had basically ordered herself a shamrock shake.

She turned around and nearly bumped into Karen. “I’ll have a hazelnut coffee with hot milk and no foam and some of that bourbon stuff Grimmjow likes. I keep meaning to try it but never do.”

Orihime tried not to show her distaste for the combination she suggested. “Ok, got it. I’ll be back soon,” she said before stopping at Grimmjow’s office.

“Coffee?” she asked from the doorframe.

Grimmjow was on the phone listening to Brady talk to him. He had called when he got into the office. “Just a minute Braids,” he said. It took him several seconds longer to actually answer Orihime. “Uh, just a black coffee, please. You look lovely today.”

She smiled at him. It was nice that he was taking such an interest in his son. “Thank you, be right back,” she whispered, closing his door quietly to not disturb the conversation.

Ulquiorra was watching the front doors of the coffee shop like a hawk. He saw the redhead go through the doors that morning. He saw Grimmjow go in after her. Now he was staring at Orihime with the gaze of a hungry man. He had missed her conversation and her attention over the past week. “Ethan, when she comes in I want you to cover the front,” Ulquiorra said to his other employee.

The man just nodded and kept making orders.

The chime of the door opening felt nostalgic. The smell of this place made her close her eyes, and she stopped just inside the door to take it in. It had been just over a week, but it felt like years. When she opened her eyes again, she looked toward the registers and saw him. She wasn’t prepared for the rush of feelings that took over her. Her throat felt tight and her nose pricked. God, she had missed him. She offered a small smile across the room before making her way to the line.

Ulquiorra came from behind the counter and came up to her. “You have a list, don’t you?” he asked.

Again, the smell assaulted her, but this time it was his. His soap and the faint smell of his clove cigarettes. She had to blink a few times and take a deep breath to keep from getting overwhelmed. She cleared her throat and said, “I do. You won’t believe what Susan came up with this time. A fitting order for a reunion like this, I think,” she said and looked him in the eyes with a gentle grin.

“I’m surprised Susan still works there. I basically told Kuchiki that I wouldn’t sign off on anything since you weren’t there. Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?”

The smile on her face melted slowly as he spoke. “Because… Because you told me to leave.” Her mouth twitched at the corners a bit at the memory. “I thought you were, um, I thought you didn’t want me back.”

Without saying anything further, Ulquiorra grabbed Orihime’s hand and started walking towards the door that would lead them to the stairway. They needed to talk about what happened. They needed to clear the air. Also, Ulquiorra was afraid that being that close to her in public would make him do something stupid like back her against the wall then kiss her again.

As soon as the heavy door was shut behind them and there was no noise from the coffee shop, he turned around and stared at Orihime. “I want you,” he said, closing the gap between them. His hands came up to gently grasp her waist. “You have to know this.”

She was speechless. The skin on her face was hot and prickly. Sure, he had flirted with her and teased her. The last time she had been there he had kissed her… And she had kissed him back. Shit. She kind of let that memory fade to the background after the whole thing with her mom happened. Her mouth opened and no sound came out as she tried to catch her breath.

“Orihime, I have feelings for you. I know they’re not reciprocated. I want to be with you just like Grimmjow is.” Those words hung in the air. He hadn’t planned on telling her this, but he couldn’t hold onto this anymore. “I think--”

This is where he stopped himself. He would stick by what he said. She had to be free from Grimmjow before he even spoke those words.

She felt like the earth was crumbling away under her feet. She shook her head, tiny little movements at first before her face crumpled. This was terrible. This was absolutely terrible. She had just gotten him back in her life, and now this? “Ulquiorra…” she said on a harsh whisper. “I don’t know what to tell you. I’m with Grimmjow. I--” She stopped herself and covered her mouth. Why did this hurt so badly?

“I know.” He nodded his head slowly and let his hands drop. “You love him although he doesn’t love you. You trust me more than you trust him.” The words weren’t bitter. There was no anger behind them. He said them in a monotone voice without any inflection. “I get it, Orihime. We’re friends.”

Her eyes looked to his, her brows a worried angle, and she dropped her hand a bit. “Are we?” She didn’t know what to do. She wanted to stop time. She wanted to make her life go back to a simpler moment. The way she felt about Ulquiorra was not just friendly, and they both knew it. She wasn’t free to say it, though.

“You don’t want to be.”

The impulse came to her, and she probably should have thought about it a bit more before she followed it, but she couldn’t think of anything else to do. The hand that had been in front of her mouth reached up behind his neck and pulled his face down as she pressed up to kiss him. She whined into his mouth, breathing his breath and giving hers back as unspoken passion. The hand on his neck tightened as she pressed her lips against his more urgently. It was hard and sad, and it felt like a goodbye. When she broke the kiss, she was crying. “I don’t know if we can be,” she whispered.

Ulquiorra nodded and took a step back. “Okay,” he stated. “Let’s get your coffee order rung up.


	17. Anti-White Chocolate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Implied domestic violence

It was the middle of January when Grimmjow took Orihime out to a decent Italian restaurant. They had good ravioli there. Ever since they came back from Chicago, things had been going good. He made plans with Lucy to visit with her and Brady every week. He even got to spend Christmas Day with his son. It was a magical time for him. It was like he had a little family, which was the truth. He had a son. He could feel himself growing closer to Brady’s mother.

He had a girlfriend, though. Orihime seemed like background noise lately. They opened presents on Christmas Eve then went to Starrk’s for a drink. When he came back from the Christmas day visit, he spent time with her, trying to ignore the bruises on her arms. He didn’t ask questions either. They were probably from her basketcase mom, or maybe Nnoitra had grabbed her. Grimmjow didn’t know.

“So,” he said after the waiter left their table. “I’ve been talking to Lucy, and an opportunity has dropped into my lap.”

“Oh?” Orihime asked, her eyes lighting up. Recently when she was able to get away from Louise, she was just so grateful to have some peace that she was overjoyed by the smallest things. Grimmjow’s hunch was right; Orihime’s mother was becoming more and more abusive as her illness progressed. Orihime wasn’t able to scrape together enough money to pay Nnoitra as fast as Louise wanted drugs. It was a cycle: Orihime would get paid, go down and get a baggie from Nnoitra, Louise would calm down and be quiet for a couple of days, then run out, then hound Orihime until she was pretty much chased from her own home, waiting for the next Friday when her piddly paycheck got deposited into her account and she could go down to Starrk's and get more of mommy’s “medicine”. Lately the screams would quickly turn to scratching and pinching and slapping and whatever else the older woman could do. 

“I’m selling my apartment and moving down to Chicago. Lucy has a position in her company and wants me to work for her. I want you to come with me.”

“Oh,” she said, her eyes widening impossibly far. “Oh, well… This is really unexpected!” she said as a smile pulled at her lips. “Um, I guess I could commute next semester…”

Grimmjow smiled. “I know that living with your mom isn’t the best circumstances. Chicago is a big city. She couldn’t possibly find you there. You could find somewhere to work down in Chicago, like at an art gallery, while going to school. After all, you’re an artist.”

“That would be fantastic,” she breathed, imagining a life as far away from her mother as she could. “I’ll start looking right away.”

“Good, this is progress. And I was thinking, since we’re going to be moving down there, you can finally meet Brady. I’ll probably orchestrate all of this while you’re on spring break so you don’t have to take classes off,” Grimmjow said. He was smiling. He was happy. “I’ve told Brady about you. Lucy is there when I talk about you.”

Her smile widened. “Oh? What do you say?” This was news.

“That you’re a good person and you’re fun to be around. You have a good heart. You’d help out anyone if you could. That you could be friends with anyone, even mean old Ulquiorra.” Grimmjow let out a chuckle and shook his head.

Her smile faltered for a bit. “Yeah… Well he’s not that mean, you know. He’s friends with you and Nnoitra,” she countered, her nostrils flaring in disgust when she mentioned the taller man’s name. Just another reason she hated Fridays. She was worrying already. She didn’t want to bring it up and dampen her boyfriend’s enthusiasm, though. No, she would just keep this good part of her life separate from the shitty parts, and hope the shitty parts could fade away in time. It was the best plan she had.

“Ulq is mean. He’s turned meaner since he started dating Rangiku.” Grimmjow laughed again and shook his head. “I don’t know what she sees in him. They’re constantly hanging out.”

Orihime felt like she had been slapped in the face. “They’re dating?”

“Yeah. He told Nnoitra all about it. I see her leaving the shop through that door that goes to the apartment when I go in there after work.”

She pursed her lips and nodded slowly. She felt numb. Nothing mattered. She certainly didn’t. “Well, that is a surprise, and also not, I guess. She always acted like she was carrying a torch for him, I guess.”

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow and stared at Orihime for a moment. There was some underlying emotion to her words; he couldn’t put his finger on it though. “Well, maybe he finally got the message you’re not interested in him and moved on. I’m just glad he’s done mooning over you.”

She smiled at him and nodded. “Yeah, me too.” The waitress arrived then with her food and she could thank every angel in heaven for her timing. “Wow, this smells amazing!” she squealed softly, swallowing down the bitterness in her throat.

The blue-haired man liked seeing how pleased Orihime was with this news. Maybe this move was a good thing. “When is your spring break? I’m asking so I can put in my two weeks. Lucy says there’s a great apartment building a couple blocks from her place.”

“Wow, perfect, let me see,” she said, taking out her phone. “March twenty-first to the thirtieth,” she read when she pulled up her calendar.

“So around the first of March, put it in. Lucy says I should be working a week after we move in,” Grimmjow stated. “Are you cool with this? You get more opportunities down there. You get away from your mom, and Ulq too.”

She chuckled. “Well, getting away from Louise is a given. I haven’t seen Ulquiorra since right after that conference, though. I am not the coffee runner anymore,” she said, acting proud of herself.

It was true. She wasn’t tasked to run coffee errands anymore. That was Charlie’s job, now. She had been promoted to junior designer. It was still just a part-time job, but it paid a bit better and she had a business card and everything. She did not dare tell Louise about this, though. The money would end up in Nnoitra’s pockets if she ever found out.

“Did you want to stay at my place tonight, then?” Grimmjow asked as he speared a ravioli with his fork. “I mean, you could kinda start moving your stuff in with me now. We wouldn’t have to pack two places.”

She dropped her fork. “Oh, Grimmjow, do you mean it?” She began to tear up. She would gladly leave her place behind. Screw her credit. Screw potentially getting evicted and having that on her record. If she could escape her mother, all of it would be worth it.

“Duh, yes, I mean it. Your mom probably doesn’t contribute much. I know you’re trying your best to graduate and you’ll do that soon,” he replied. Grimmjow smiled at her, although he felt a pull at his heart. He was making an effort to bridge the slow-growing gap between them. Louise was just one layer of this shit cake. Ulquiorra another layer. Nnoitra and his leering grins another. And yes, he was still being spiteful, wanting to keep Orihime to himself. He hadn’t matured much when it came to things like that… Lucy had been right weeks ago.

Orihime wiped a tear from her eye and smiled at him. “I’ll start packing tomorrow when she’s at the doctor.”

***

That night when she went to the bathroom to clean up after having sex with Grimmjow, she pulled out her phone and looked at that last text message from Ulquiorra, the one with his smiling face attached to it. She turned the shower on to mask the sounds of her cries.

He had moved on. The precious time that they had shared together had been exhausted, with no hope for rekindling.

Orihime could feel the distance between herself and her boyfriend. Tonight had been a big step in the right direction with him asking her to move in, but sex was starting to become a chore for both of them over the past month or two, and there were far fewer I love yous directed towards her.

Brady, rightfully so, got plenty of I love yous, from Grimmjow. The way her boyfriend’s voice and face lit up when he talked to his son both warmed and chilled her heart. The way he spoke to his son’s mother was also concerning. She understood that they needed a good relationship for Brady’s sake, but seemed to Orihime that her relationship with him ought to be at least that good or better. It wasn’t, though. Once again, she was fading into the background.

Her tears had slowed at that point, so she rinsed off and turned the shower off, then dried her body and took out her phone.

  * I heard. Congratulations.



Her thumb hovered above the send button. Then she sighed and deleted the message. It wouldn’t be fair. Ulquiorra deserved to be happy. The text would seem passive aggressive at best. So she decided on another blog post.

1.17.20

**Evanston, IL, Coffee & Sadness: White Chocolate Lattes and Marshmallow Hot Chocolate**

_I’m not a fan of white chocolate. There, I said it. Despite my general aversion, my co-workers seem obsessed with C &S’s new flavor of the month. Sadly, I don’t get to visit much these days, but I do love the hot chocolate with marshmallows. _

_In other news, New Year, New Beginnings! I found out today that an old friend of mine is dating someone. Congratulations. <3 I wish for your eternal happiness. This one’s for you: _

Here she inserted a doodle of two angry sparrows having coffee together; the one from the Coffee & Sadness logo, and another, slightly more feminine looking one beside it with a second cup of coffee. 

_Anyhow, here’s today’s playlist: Let Her Go - Passenger; Against All Odds - The Postal Service; Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division; Hard Habit to Break - Chicago; With or Without You - U2; We Don’t Talk Anymore - Charlie Puth/Selena Gomez; Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins; Love My Way - The Psychedelic Furs; White Flag - Dido; Lips Like Sugar - Echo and the Bunnymen; Pictures of You - The Cure_

She didn’t care much if her message wasn’t subtle enough. If he wanted to take her congratulations at face value, he could. If he listened to her playlist, though… Well, too late, it was posted.

***

Ulquiorra looked at Rangiku who was sprawled out on his couch. He glared at the back of her strawberry blonde head. What the hell was he doing? Why did she add those stupid pink highlights to her hair? He had to stop himself from sighing audibly. 

Internally though… He just mentally let out the biggest sigh ever.

The same day Orihime told him that they couldn’t be friends, he had waited for Rangiku in the office of Coffee & Sadness. He pounced on her as soon as she came into the door. They had sex in there. Ulquiorra was disappointed in himself, but he had to take out the hurt he felt on someone. Rangiku said it was the best experience she had ever had. 

Like Ulquiorra cared. 

He didn’t have an explanation on the recurrences of the event or the fact that his manager now referred to herself as his girlfriend. Okay, so they were together. It wasn’t like it was serious. He told Nnoitra, who spread the news to Grimmjow. 

And now Ulquiorra was looking at Orihime’s newest blog post. So she was the one who always ordered the marshmallow flavored hot chocolate. Then she wanted to congratulate him?

Orihime was the one who said they couldn’t be friends. She was the one who turned him away. It was only right, because she was still happily attached to Grimmjow, but still… The rejection still burned. 

Her entire post burned him. 

Her words said one thing while her song selection said another. Which was it? Was she happy for him, or was she sad that he found someone to pass the time with?

Ulquiorra sighed. 

“You’re working too much,” Rangiku said from her spot.

“I am not. Dating you makes me work twice as hard. You think you can laze around now,” Ulquiorra stated.

“I worked until five. I’m allowed to be lazy. What time did you take off today?”

He huffed. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.” 

Rangiku laughed. “You never sleep. Humans require more than three to four hours a night,” she replied. “Do you want me to go back home? I can leave you to brood in solitude.”

Ulquiorra’s head whipped in Rangiku’s direction. What the hell did she mean by that? He opened his mouth to ask her that question but his phone chimed.

It was Grimmjow.

  * Hime and I are moving to Chicago soon. Just letting you know.



The words on his screen froze his insides, then anger overcame his senses. How fucking dare him. That asshole!

“Ulq?”

“What?” he snapped, throwing his phone onto the desk. He glared at Rangiku. “What Ran?”

“I’m leaving. I hope you get some sleep and are in a better mood tomorrow,” his girlfriend said.

Oh. As fast as the emotion came on, it left Ulquiorra, and he sighed, which further deflated him. “Okay. Thanks.”

“Why don’t you go grab a drink with your friends? It might help you relax.”

He nodded absently. “Drive safe,” he said.

After he heard the apartment door close, Ulquiorra picked up his phone and read the text Grimmjow sent. He read it for a third time. Then he switched over to the last text Orihime had sent him.

It had been weeks since he had seen her. It had been weeks since he talked to her. He decided to be that asshole.

  * I hear congratulations are in order for you too. I’m not the one that is going to offer them though.



He sent it off without thinking and stood up. Rangiku was right. He needed to get out of this building. Getting his stuff together, Ulquiorra made his way down the stairs, making sure his coat was closed against the icy wind and his winter hat was firmly placed on his head. He caught the bus that would deliver him to the nearest stop to Starrk’s and then walked into the bar.

The dark interior and the smell of wood polish combined lemon cleaner brought back memories of Halloween and the time he sat with the redhead. It brought him back to the memory of walking her home.

“Eyy, Ulq, you gonna come in or just stand in the door?” Nnoitra called out. 

Ulquiorra took off his hat and scarf and then walked to the bar, knowing what the next words out of the tall man’s mouth would be. “Maker’s mark please; no water tonight.”

***

Orihime was home alone the day after Grimmjow asked her to move with him. Home, packing her things and hoping her mother wouldn’t get home from her doctor appointment early as she packed as much as she could from her apartment to bring back over to Grimmjow’s. She knew what would happen if she was there when Louise returned. She had still had the bruises on her back and shoulders to remind her from last time Friday rolled around and Orihime hadn’t visited Nnoitra yet. 

She glanced at her phone. She didn’t have a lot of time. She zipped up the bag she was packing and started grabbing some things to put in a tote bag when she heard her phone chime.

Ulquiorra.

What did he mean? Did he know about the move? Why would he care? He had Rangiku to keep him warm at night. He didn’t need her. He didn’t miss her. Was he just being vindictive?

She sighed and sat on her bed, which now smelled like her mother. On nights when she had to stay at her own apartment, Orihime slept on the small chair in the corner of her studio. Her shoulders shook and soon she couldn’t see anything that was in front of her. 

Why was her life such shit? Why couldn’t she just work hard and get ahead like everyone else? Why was there always all this baggage attached to everything?

She didn’t hear the footsteps on the stairs.

“Orihime Louise! What the hell are you doing? Is that my stuff?”

The sharp voice pulled her out of her pity party and she blinked her eyes clear. “Mom? No, I was just going to take this to Grimm’s for the weekend,” she denied.

“Ha. Well, you’re not going anywhere before you get me my stuff. Last time I tried to get it myself. You remember what happened, don’t you? I am too tired to deal with that shit today,” Louise replied, sighing as she went to the bathroom and started taking a shit with the door open.

She couldn’t stand it. She absolutely couldn’t stand it. “I just got paid. I’ll go over there and come right back, okay?” Orihime said, completely defeated. 

The toilet flushed and Louise came out. “Move your ass, then. You know how much this hurts, don’t you?”

“No, mom, I really don’t. I’m sorry you are sick,” Orihime offered quietly as she turned to get her jacket.

She didn’t get far. She felt a yank on her hair.

“YOU feel sorry for ME?! Don’t look down on me, ya stuck up bitch! You think you can just coast through life with your tits and your pretty face? Get a real fucking job! I have needs! You want to know how much this hurts?!”

Orihime closed her eyes. She remembered hazelnut hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies. She thought about clove cigarettes and warm hugs and talking about art while eating Indian food. A couple of minutes later, she opened her eyes. Louise was worn out and sitting on the bed, huffing. 

“Just get back soon. I can’t keep doing this, Orihime.”

  
  
She nodded and left. She left her bags by the front door and walked over to Starrks without looking in the mirror.

***

Ulquiorra was engrossed with his second drink of the night when Nnoitra got his attention. “Your lover girl is here,” the tall man said in a mocking, sing-song voice. “Or Grimmjow’s lover girl. Either or.”

He glanced at the door and frowned as he saw Orihime walk into the bar. This was great. The one person he didn’t really want to see. “Can you settle my tab?” Ulquiorra asked.

“Nah, not yet. I got business to attend to,” Nnoitra replied. He didn’t move though. He stayed leaning on the bar near where Ulquiorra sat.

“Asshole.”

“I know. Damn. Look at her. Her mom must have went psycho. That bitch is nasty by the way. The shit she’ll do for a hit...”

Ulquiorra sighed. “Would you please shut the fuck up, Nnoitra?”

Orihime walked to the end of the bar where she normally did business with Nnoitra and just stared at the surface. She didn’t lift her eyes past the edge of it., at least not at first. She just waited for him to come over.

When no one came, her eyes rose slowly. Oh. Oh no. She couldn’t do this. It was too much. She saw the angry glint in Ulquiorra’s eyes. She saw the smile on Nnoitra’s face. Of course he would be loving this.

“Nnoitra? Could you come here, please?” she asked. Her voice sounded quieter than she thought it would. She cleared her throat and called a bit louder, “Nnoitra? Please?”

Nnoitra shook his head and stayed where he was, smirking. “Your legs work. Get over here,” he called back. This made Ulquiorra glare harder at him.

Orihime’s eyes closed again. Her face turned red and then she opened them and walked over to where the two males stood. “Hi Ulquiorra,” she said quietly without making eye contact, and then dug a bank envelope out of her pocket and set it on the bar.

“Miss Inoue,” Ulquiorra said. He tried to ignore the envelope on the bartop. He tried to ignore the state of her person. What the hell was the redhead getting into that she looked like hell and was giving Nnoitra money?

Nnoitra chuckled. “You know, if you ever get tired of paying me, I got a nice spot in the backroom to do business in, Hime,” the man said with a leer.

“Not in this lifetime, Nnoitra,” Orihime hissed with a tiny sneer. It hurt her face to do it, with the red welts that were growing there thanks to mommy dearest, and she winced.

“Never say never, bitch. It’s getting expensive to supply your habit since you want stuff that doesn’t send your mom to the hospital. It’s an extra twenty-five next week,” Nnoitra said taking the envelope off the counter and then handing something to Orihime.

Orihime quickly took what was given and stuffed it into the inside pocket of her coat and then zipped it up, then pushed off the bar. “Sorry to disturb your evening,” she said before turning to the exit. Before she got past the end of the bar, she paused and turned around. She scanned the bar; it wasn’t too busy. She didn’t come back to Ulquiorra and Nnoitra, instead just saying it loud enough to be heard across the bar, “If she comes in here and asks for something directly, don’t give it to her. Wait for me. She… Just wait for me.”

“I don’t give bitches tabs,” Nnoitra said. He waved her off like he usually did after their little chit chats. “Your mom pays her own way, dumbass.”

Orihime’s brows knit and eyes bulged. “She what?! She doesn’t have any money!” she said.

Nnoitra laughed, and the way he did it made Ulquiorra uncomfortable. This wasn’t his business though. “Can you settle my tab now, Nnoi?”

“No dumbass, just wait,” the bartender said. He stood up straight and walked around the bar over to where Orihime stood. “Don’t worry about your mom. She’s not a coward like you.”

Orihime scoffed in disgust and turned on her heel, marching directly into the cold night air. She felt ill. Her mother was worse than she imagined. And according to Nnoitra, she was perfectly capable of supplying her own habit. She was just using her.

She felt like she might be sick. She needed to get out of this town. 


	18. Family Dinner

Grimmjow looked around the apartment and then looked at Orihime. Lucy was also in the room. “Well, do you like it?” he asked his girlfriend. “I’m sure in a year we can move somewhere else.”

He was nervous about this meeting and looking over the apartment in Chicago. Seeing Orihime come home a couple of weeks ago looking like she had gotten into a boxing ring with all her bruises had been bad. He didn’t say anything, except that maybe waiting until Spring Break to move was somewhat of a bad idea. If Orihime wanted to, they could move sooner.

When he had asked her that question, she could have wept. She was very enthusiastic with her acceptance of the idea, and they agreed to leave as soon as possible. Now, a little over two weeks later, and she was looking at an apartment slightly older and smaller than Grimmjow’s current apartment. It wasn’t bad. It had two bedrooms though, so that Brady could have a room. 

Orihime smiled as she looked around. “This place is great. Is it available right away?”

“Eh, I think so. Lucy? Do you have any details and… Is Court bringing Brady by?” Grimmjow asked the blonde.

“I was thinking you guys could come over for dinner after this, if you don’t have any other plans,” Lucy said with a small smile. “I think it would be better if Brady met Orihime in the place he felt most comfortable; same as when you met him, Grimm. And also, yeah, Giselle has the lease application ready if you want to fill it out. I think she said it’s just a matter of running your credit and a background check. I vouched for you already,” she added.

Grimmjow gave Lucy a smile then turned to his girlfriend. “What do you think Hime? Want to meet Braids and have dinner?" He turned his face to Lucy. "Are you making him chicken nuggets? That boy eats so many of them, he might turn into one,” the man said with a fond tone of voice.

Orihime opened her mouth to answer but Lucy replied first, a knowing glint in her eyes and a smile in her tone, “Yeah… We’re trying to branch out from chicken nuggets. You know how it is, though, Grimm. He knows what he likes, just like his Daddy.”

A sick feeling pulled at Orihime’s guts but she swallowed it. Lucy and Grimmjow had history. They had a kid. They had a relationship outside of her. “I’d like that,” she answered, a little late, and with a little voice.

“Good. Great.” Grimmjow felt shitty again. He felt this way every time he was around Lucy. He couldn’t help it. He was only with Orihime to spite Ulquiorra. If he could, he’d take this entire relationship back. If he had just let her go, she could have been living in that posh apartment and on the arm of a Batman wannabe. “Yeah, let’s fill it out the application.”

The rental agent had been waiting for the word and stepped forward with a clipboard. “Word to the wise,” she said, “If you’re not married, only one of you should fill out the application. The landlord is kind of religious,” she said with an apologetic nose wrinkle. “These old landlords of these old properties tend to be that way. It will make your application go through more smoothly if you do,so I’ll leave the form with you two while you decide how you want to do it,” she said, setting the clipboard and a pen on the table next to them.

“You want to do it, don’t you?” Orihime asked as soon as the woman stepped away. “I mean, until I can figure out what to do with Louise, my name is still on my apartment in Evanston. With my income, it probably doesn’t look good if I fill it out.”

Grimmjow nodded. “Yeah. I mean with your income… I doubt they’d even look at the application. I already know what my salary will be when I start working for Lucy. Is it okay with you if I do that, Orihime? I don’t want to make you… resent or regret this.”

Orihime smiled and shook her head. “No, not at all; it’s a matter of practicality. I get it,” she said, taking a step back from the table for emphasis. “Get to filling out, Babe.”

She internally winced. She never called him that. What was she doing? She glanced at the blonde standing a few feet away and smiled slightly wider. She was why, Orihime realized.

The man looked at the redhead for a few seconds before he started filling out the application. He had his phone out looking up numbers and addresses. He only looked up at Lucy. “Um, I don’t know the phone number to put down for you… Business number?”

“Just use my cell phone,” she said.

He gave a nod and went back to scribbling. A few minutes later he was signing the bottom of the application. “Okay,” he said, a bit nervous. “That’s done.”

Giselle, the rental agent, took the application and the deposit he had left with it and nodded. “Great. I should have the news by tomorrow at five, and then you can move in as soon as you sign the actual lease.” She walked to the door and opened it for the other three to exit. “Good luck, we’ll be in touch,” she said as she locked the door and left.

“Well, that’s done,” Orihime said with a smile. She was kind of working on autopilot at the moment. She thought it was weird that Grimmjow asked Lucy about what number to put on the application, but chalked it up to listing her as a reference. That had to be it. He wouldn’t cheat on her. She was his princess. 

He hadn’t called her that in a long time.

“Yep. Do you want us to follow you over to your place Luce?” Grimmjow asked the other woman. He was feeling a bit agitated and awkward. What if Ulquiorra gave him a shitty reference? What if things didn’t work out with Orihime? What if Brady didn’t like the redhead? “I kind of want to see Brady.”

Both short women smiled warmly, looking up at his face. “Well, follow me,” Lucy said first, starting down the stairs to the main level. The apartment they had seen was on the second floor.

When Orihime got into Grimmjow’s car, she sighed. She hadn’t realized how tense she had been in the other woman’s presence. “I really hope we get it,” she murmured, smiling at her boyfriend.

“We will. I know Lucy will vouch for me. She’s a good person, Orihime.” Grimmjow said as he began to drive. “Are you excited to move though?”

“I am so excited,” Orhime said. “I’m sure Lucy will do what she can. She seems excited, too. You seem anxious. You worried this won’t work out?” she asked innocently. She meant getting the apartment.

“Kind of,” Grimmjow said, focused on traffic. “I mean, there’s a lot of factors on the table here.”

“Oh? Like what?” she asked, also looking forward. She didn’t think Grimmjow had any debt problems; he wore nice clothes but he didn’t live extravagantly.

“Eh, us. This new job. I’ve been working for RBM for years. Lucy and Brady. It all seems like it could go wrong, you know?” Grimmjow replied. 

She didn’t answer. He said factors. He said things could go wrong. He was right, of course, but it didn’t seem like a good idea to dwell on them. It felt like it was asking for the worst to happen by doing that. “I’m sure Lucy wouldn’t sell you down the river with the job. She wouldn’t let you into Brady’s life and then sabotage yours. She seems like she has a good head on her shoulders.” She patted his knee and sighed through a smile. She wasn’t as confident as she sounded when she added, “And we are going to be great. The farther away from our crazy mothers we can get, the better.”

Grimmjow glanced at the young woman sitting beside him and then gave her a smile. “I hope so. Just wait until you meet Brady. He’s a great kid, but constantly wants McDonald’s. I feel like a bad guy when I tell him no. He’s just--He’s great.”

Orihime sighed again and looked at him. Really, really looked at him. It had been a long time since she had done this, just staring at his profile as he drove. “I’m sure you’re a great dad, Grimmjow,” she murmured, a bit lost in her thoughts. She still felt a lot of affection and attachment toward him. Maybe it wasn’t the desperate love she thought they had when things were fresh between them and the hormones were flying high, but she still thought they were going to be just fine. They were going through a rough transition, but he was still the king of her castle. 

She thought of Ulquiorra for a moment. She had done the right thing, she knew it. She was attached to Grimmjow. She’d never break his heart, he didn’t deserve it. He’d only ever been good to her. He was helping her escape Louise, for Christ’s sake. He was going to cohabitate with her. Whatever feelings she had for Ulquiorra were untested. 

Yes, she had feelings for him. When she kissed him goodbye, it had broken her heart. She knew, that by doing what she did, she ran the risk of closing that door of possibility of something more with Ulquiorra forever. Now that he was with Rangiku, she knew that it was. It would probably always hurt, but… Ulquiorra never really went for it with her. Grimmjow never gave her up. To her, that meant that Grimmjow cared more. What else was she supposed to do?

They arrived at Lucy’s place fifteen minutes later. Grimmjow parked the car and then got out, not bothering to wait for Orihime. He just hoped she followed behind him. “That’s the only thing I don’t like about Chicago, the damn traffic,” he said.

Orihime jogged behind. “What?” she hadn’t been able to hear with the distance between them.

“I said I don’t like the traffic in this city,” Grimmjow said as he rang the doorbell.

“Ah,” she said as the door opened. A woman she didn’t recognize opened the door.

“Oh, hi Grimmjow. Lucy’s just getting dinner started, come on in,” the woman said with a bright friendly smile towards the blue-haired man. She appeared to be about Orihime’s age.

“Hey Court. Orihime, this is Courtney. Courtney, this is Orihime, my girlfriend. Court is Brady’s nanny,” Grimmjow explained as he walked into the apartment. He was already slipping his coat off and hanging it up. “Brady!”

“Daddy!” a small, loud voice called about and thunderous quick steps followed. Orihime’s gaze snapped to the small figure barreling towards her boyfriend. She didn’t see the look of familiarity on the nanny’s face.

“What did he say your name was?” Courtney asked.

Orihime was melting into a puddle. The scene before her was foreign to her and weird, but also heartwarming and adorable as her boyfriend scooped his son up into a bear hug. “Orihime Inoue,” she muttered, hanging her coat up over Grimmjow’s and walking to his side.

“How is my little guy today?” Grimmjow asked with a wide grin on his face. “Were you good today for Courtney? I got a deal for you, kiddo.” He carried the little boy into the living area.

“What is it?” Brady asked, looking excited. “McDonalds?”

The man laughed and then turned to look at Orihime. “See what I mean? No bud. I’ll give you a dollar to eat something besides chicken nuggets.”

Orihime smiled, then giggled as Brady replied, “I don’t want dollars. I want nuggies or Paw Patrol.”

“I’m sure you can arrange something, right?” Orihime said, walking over to them in the living room, waiting to be introduced.

“Maybe,” Grimmjow said. He then turned to Orihime and made sure Brady was looking at her. “Brady this is Orihime, my girlfriend. Remember I told you about her?”

“Owihime? Oh! Daddy’s fwend. Hi!” he said as Orihime waved at him.

“Hi Brady, I am glad to finally meet you. Your Dad talks about you a lot.”

“I do talk about you a lot, Brady. That’s true. It’s because you’re my boy, huh?” Grimmjow said and then started tickling the kid with one hand.

The child screamed with glee and kicked and twisted in his father’s arms. “Stop! Daddy, stop!”

“Is everything okay out there?” Lucy’s voice called from the kitchen. There was a distinctly sharp undertone to it.

Grimmjow immediately stopped tickling Brady and set him on his feet. He walked towards the kitchen. “It’s fine, Luce. I was tickling him,” he explained once he saw the mother of his son. “It’s not like I’m going to harm him. I love him.”

Lucy sighed and looked over her shoulder. “I know you don’t mean to, but you’ve got to respect his bodily autonomy. If he says stop, stop,” she said matter-of-factly. 

“I did that. He said stop. You got all mother hen. I stopped. I’ll go apologize to him,” Grimmjow said with a slight pout on his face and turned back around.

Orihime was right there and looking at him with sympathy in her expression. “I thought you were fine,” she said when they were out of earshot.

“Yeah? Well, concerning Brady, Lucy is kind of… uptight? Cautious would be a better word for it. He’s her light,” Grimmjow said. Once he got to Brady again, he knelt down. “Brady, I’m sorry for tickling you. I was just trying to have fun, okay?”

“I like it when Daddy tickles me but sometimes it makes me want to pee my pants,” the kid kind of whisper-shouted.

Grimmjow smiled and patted Brady on the head. “I know, buddy. Do you want to play a game with Orihime while I go talk to Mommy?”

Brady turned to look at the redhead, who smiled back at him. He looked back at his father with worried eyes and whispered something into his ears.

Grimmjow frowned but nodded. “It’s okay. I didn’t know  her at first, but I played a game with her and I got to know her. She’s nice. C’mere Orihime, sit down.” He patted the space next to him and made himself comfortable. “Maybe we can read a book?”

Orihime did as Grimmjow said and Brady nodded to the suggestion of reading a book. Orihime looked at her boyfriend. It was weird seeing him in Dad mode. It made her feel like she wasn’t quite on his level. It wasn’t bad, but it was weird.

“He’ll warm up to you,” Grimmjow murmured to Orihime with a faint smile on his face. He took the book that was offered to him and read it and three others before he decided that was enough of reading. “I’m going to get a drink.”

Brady wasn’t done with it. “Can you wead, Owihime?” he asked her, hopefully.

“I can, do you want me to read you some stories?” Orihime asked with a bright smile.

He nodded and shoved a book in her hands before climbing into her lap. Orihime pouted, thinking it was adorable, and looked towards Grimmjow.

Grimmjow was on his way to the kitchen and wasn’t even looking at Orihime. He had to talk to Lucy. He didn’t want to be thinking of Orihime with a kid or anything like that. He didn’t feel comfortable with the two women being in the same room. This entire visit seemed awkward so far. Lucy barely scolded him for playing with Brady.

When he arrived in the kitchen, Courtney was still there. Normally she would have gone home by now. She was looking down at Lucy with an urgent kind of expression, and stopped talking as soon as she saw Grimmjow.

“Am I interrupting something?” he asked as he went over to the refrigerator and helped himself to a bottle of water. “What?”

“Oh, nothing, Grimmjow,” Courtney said. “I was just telling Lucy about how I need a day off to help my grandma move into, um, a nursing home next week,” she lied quickly. “I’ll let you think about it, Lucy. Um, either day would work. If you need more  _ information _ , just give me a call or text. See you guys,” she said, grabbing her purse off the counter and leaving.

Lucy watched her leave with a confused expression. “Um, Grimmjow… Sorry for snapping before, I was distracted with the thing Courtney was talking about,” she said, drying her hands off on a towel that hung in the front of the oven. “Did you need something?”

Grimmjow looked at Lucy and then raised an eyebrow. He walked further into the kitchen. “I mean, I wanted to see what you thought of things. What do you think of my chances are at getting that place? What do you think of Orihime? Do you still have the same thoughts as you did in December?”

“Which thoughts, exactly, are you talking about?” she asked, turning on the exhaust fan over the stove to afford their conversation more privacy.

For some reason, Grimmjow wasn’t really sure of them, he wanted to grab the blonde’s hips and hold her close. It wasn’t a good feeling for him. He knew he was still attracted to the mother of his kid. He sighed and quickly took a drink from his water. “You know, the one where I’m being immature and I’m going to hurt her?”

Lucy shrugged and looked back into the pan, giving it a stir. “I don’t know. I was just asking the question. You’re the only one who knows for sure. As for your chances of getting the place,” she turned to look at him from over her shoulder with an easy smile. “I think you’re in. It’s a no-brainer. I don’t know about Orihime, we haven’t really gotten to know each other,” she said, the smile on her face vanishing just a split second before her head was looking back at the pan.

Grimmjow moved so he was standing right behind her. “You’re not going to give her a chance, are you? What is really bothering you? Do you want us to leave?”

She shook her head. “No, not at all. I need to see how she is with Brady,” she said plainly. This was basically a trial, as far as Lucy was concerned. She wanted to make sure she felt comfortable leaving her son in the company of someone who until now was more or less a stranger.

“You just let me into his life though, and I was practically a stranger to him except for the handful of hours I spent with him in the past couple of years.”

She scoffed. “That may be so, but you weren’t a stranger to me, Grimm,” she said. There was a soft, satisfied hum that accompanied the sentiment. “I knew your heart would be in the right place.”

“You’re just saying that because I dicked you down and knocked you up,” he joked. Grimmjow raised his hand and turned Lucy around so he could look at her face. He didn’t say anything for a moment or two.

“That’s not the only reason, you big dork,” she said with a chuckle. “I mean, you did make a great first impression, faulty condom notwithstanding.”

He gave a chuckle then smirked. “Did you want me to come down on Saturday or Sunday next week to spend time with you two?” Grimmjow didn’t realize how flirty or seductive his voice sounded. 

She noticed, and blushed. “You’re welcome here almost anytime,” she said, turning around because she was flustered. She turned off the burner and was about to start plating up when she heard a yelp.

That wasn’t Brady.

“Everything okay in there?” she said, turning away from the stove and walking into the living room. She saw Brady crawling up Orihime’s back and an expression of deep discomfort on her face. She looked like she was being tortured. Lucy shook her head. This girl was such a noob. How was she going to handle--

Oh. Oh holy shit.

Lucy had pulled her son off of Orihime’s body, and when she did, the boy hadn’t let go of her shirt. Lucy had caught a glimpse of deep purple bruising going down the side of her spine and over her shoulder before the boy finally released her clothing.

“Brady, um, don’t climb on people like they’re jungle gyms. I need you to go wash your hands now for dinner, okay?” she said in a shaky voice. She watched her son go and when he had the water turned on, she looked back at Grimmjow. She couldn’t look at the woman on the floor. She would only see the bruises in her mind. “Can I talk to you in the kitchen for a minute? Excuse us, Orihime.”

Orihime looked up at Grimmjow with a questioning expression but answered, “Of course.”

Grimmjow had seen what Lucy had seen. He didn’t think Orihime was going over to her old apartment anymore. Then again, he really hadn’t seen Orihime naked in a week. He shrugged before following Lucy back into the other room. “Yeah?”

As soon as they were back in the kitchen, she pulled him back toward the fan. “Tell me you didn’t do that. Tell me it wasn’t you,” she demanded. Her face was fearful but she wasn’t going to be a coward and put her son at risk.

“What? No! Hell no. Do I look like the type of person to hit a woman?” he asked, feeling defensive. He did not appreciate these accusations. “You’ve known me longer than she has, do you think I’d raise my hand to her or to our son?”

“Then explain to me why it looks like she just went nine rounds!” she hissed back.

Grimmjow glared for a moment then dropped the look. “Her mom is abusive when Orihime doesn’t give her… money,” he said in a forced way. This wasn’t his business to tell.

“Shit,” Lucy muttered, shaking her head and going to the cabinet to get some plates. “Shit, shit, shit. Fucking shit.” She said, setting them down and starting to dish up some kind of rice and chicken dish. 

“Lucy, you wanna tell me what’s going on that is making you sound like a sailor?” Grimmjow asked, eyeing her with worry.

“Courtney knows Orihime. She used to know her, anyway. That’s what we were talking about. Her grandma is dead already.”

Courtney knew Orihime? What did Courtney say to Lucy? Questions steamrolled through his head pushing out other thoughts. “What did she tell you?”

“She said that her whole family was on drugs and that the mom was a mental case. She said she thought maybe Orihime was okay, but the mom is always bouncing checks and getting picked up by the cops for, well, everything. They are both from the Northwest Suburbs… Warrenville… Wheaton? Naperville maybe? I forget. Anyway…” Lucy stopped and sighed. “I don’t want that near Brady. I’m sorry. If her mom was out of the picture…” She frowned deeply and looked up at Grimmjow with a sorrowful expression. She understood that Orihime might possibly be innocent in this, but she couldn’t take the risk.

What the hell? Lucy was going to pull the plug on him seeing Brady just because of Orihime… Was he hearing her correctly? No… Grimmjow shook his head. “Okay, after tonight, you won’t see Orihime again. I won’t take Brady around her. I’ll… I’ll… I don’t know.”

Lucy’s forehead fell into the palm of one hand. “I’m really sorry, Grimmjow. I am. She seems like a really sweet girl, but I don’t want Brady exposed to anybody who might hurt us. If things with her mom calm down after you move, maybe I can reconsider, I just can’t risk anything happening to our baby,” she said, starting to tear up as she looked back at him. He looked so torn and she hated to be the one to do this.

“Lucy,” he murmured and pulled her into a hug. Grimmjow rarely showed anyone affection outside of wanting to get laid, so this was a surprise to him that he wanted to comfort her. “You don’t have to justify it. I understand. If Louise ever thought about hitting our boy, I’d need bail money.”

Lucy let him hug her and she returned it. She didn’t say anything about his bail money until he relaxed his hold. “Grimmjow?”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t stop her from hurting Orihime, though.”

“Orihime needs to stop enabling her mother. I figured if she wanted the abuse to stop, she’d never go over there, but it seems like every Friday she’s over there,” he said quietly.

Lucy didn’t know what to say to that. She didn’t know the situation. She took a deep breath and released it. “Well, for tonight, for all of our sakes, especially Brady’s, let’s act like everything is okay and enjoy a nice dinner. Things might work out. After dinner you can tuck Brady into bed and think about what you want to do, okay?” she asked, taking one of his hands and giving it a squeeze.

Grimmjow gave her hand a squeeze back. He felt shitty again because he knew what he wanted to do, but he didn’t know how to do it. “I’ll think about it. Thanks for not kicking us out right away.”


	19. Death in the Afternoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Physical Assault

Orihime noticed that Grimmjow was tense during dinner. Lucy had been hospitable and they had a nice chat cleaning up after dinner together while Grimmjow got Brady settled down in bed. They talked about their work and Grimmjow’s new job a bit. He wouldn’t be working “for” Lucy, like he kept saying; he’d just be working in her department, she clarified. Yes, she ran the department, but he’d be an account manager. He’d be focusing on her company’s cosmetics branding as well. It wasn’t a huge company; not yet, anyway. They had big plans for expansion, though.

Lucy was a good talker. Orihime didn’t notice how much time had passed and how long Grimmjow had taken getting Brady to sleep. When he finally came out of the boy’s room, it was nearly ten o’clock. “Wow, you took a long time,” Lucy said. “Did he give you any trouble?”

“Read me another one, Daddy, and then he looks at me with those huge blue eyes and you know I can’t say no to him, Luce. He’s…” Grimmjow trailed off then sighed. “Anyway, thank you for dinner. I’m glad he eats actual chicken and not just processed chicken. If you two are done, Orihime and I can get out of your hair. I’ll see you two Saturday and Sunday.”

“Yeah, or earlier if you need to come back into town to sign a lease! I’ve got my fingers crossed!” Lucy cheered quietly. “Thanks for your help, Orihime. It was really nice getting to know you.”

Orihime smiled at the blonde. “It was nice getting to know you, too, Lucy. I’ll see you soon, I’m sure,” she said, leading the way towards the door and putting on her coat.

Grimmjow actually winced at her words. He didn’t bother to correct Orihime. He knew she wouldn’t see Lucy again unless Louise died. That old bitch was hanging on, so it probably wasn’t in the cards that she would die anytime soon. “See ya Luce,” Grimmjow said before he led Orihime back to the car.

It was late when they got back to his place in Evanston. The next morning, Grimmjow was sitting at his desk at work, drinking coffee, when his phone rang with the news of the apartment. Just like Lucy said, he got the place. It was on the fourth floor. He was going to miss his lucky number apartment, though. He told the rental agency that he would be down to sign on Friday. He didn’t tell Orihime anything. 

It was no secret between him and Lucy that they had history and they had chemistry. They had a kid together. Grimmjow knew his feelings for the woman went deeper than his feelings for Orihime. He was a shitty person for this. 

It was several weeks later, when Orihime’s spring break started and they were in their new apartment, that it all started. “Have you found a job yet? Have you been looking?” he asked as he looked at her one morning. “Have you been going up to Evanston? Where did you get that bruise?”

She looked at him like he was somewhat stupid. “Of course I’ve been going to Evanston. I’ve got school to attend and work to go to. I’ve been looking for something down here and so far it’s hard; making things work around my school schedule makes me unattractive to a lot of employers. I ran into Louise at Starrk’s yesterday. She goes in there on her own these days and deals with Nnoitra herself. He has no standards, does he?”

“Starrk’s? Why the hell are you walking into a bar?” Grimmjow snapped at her. He sighed. This entire relationship was becoming tedious. “I’m footing the bills down here and trying to raise my kid and trying to maintain a friendly relationship with his mother and deal with you and you’re going into bars? Having school and a job up there doesn’t require a fucking drink.”

She scowled at him. “What the hell, Grimmjow? I’m not allowed to stop into a familiar place once in a rare while and have a drink? We used to go there all the time! It’s not like I’m asking you for money or trying to get between you and your family. What is your problem with me?”

He scowled right back at her. “What is my problem? My problem is your druggie-ass mother is hindering my relationship with Lucy. Do you know why you’ve not been around Brady? Courtney knows you -or knew you- in high school and spilled all your fucking dirty laundry out to Lucy. She told me to pick between you and Brady. Now you’re conveniently running into Louise at a bar? This is fucking perfect. I fucking rearrange my life to get away from the fucking craziness and you’re just inviting it back in.”

“What? And… What?” Orihime felt blindsided. She didn’t even know where to start. “Let me assure you that there is nothing convenient about me running into my mother. Ever.”

“Right. Because that’s where her dealer is. Are you fucking Nnoitra behind my back?” Grimmjow was livid.

“What?!?” She was offended. “Absolutely not! I am disgusted by him, and you know that! I went in there because I’m exhausted! I’m tired of worrying about what is happening to us all the time. I needed to have a drink and slow my thoughts down. I thought things were supposed to be better since we moved, but you just keep pushing me away, Grimmjow,” she said, starting to cry. She knew she had to ask him why, but she was too chickenshit to do it.

“Maybe you needed -no, wanted- to see Nnoitra, or even Ulquiorra. Was that it? Did you want the little playboy around to give you money to feed your mom’s habit?” Grimmjow yelled. He knew where this anger was coming from. He just didn’t want to admit it.

Now she was fuming, and she made sure he knew it, shouting, “What are you talking about?! I’m not friends with him anymore. He doesn’t talk to me anymore! He’s with Rangiku. They’re getting married, for all I know! I don’t even go in there for coffee anymore, and for your information, the last time I saw him he refused to talk to me and that was in what, December?” She sighed emphatically. “This is bullshit. I’ve always been faithful to you. You have no justification for suspecting me.”

Grimmjow slammed a hand down on the table. “Bullshit. I’ve always suspected you two. I know he has feelings for you. I know something happened between you two but I’ve never brought it up. He’s sent you flowers. He confessed to me that he wanted you. I even have photos of you two cuddling each other at Starrk’s and then him going into your apartment.” He scoffed.

“Oh my god, we’ve been through this! Yes, he had a little crush on me. It’s over. Nothing happened with it. He tried and I shot him down,” she said, still crying, but now with renewed bitterness. “I have been faithful to you, Grimmjow. He gave up. He moved on. It’s time for you to let this go!”

“He tried? And you let him try? What about Halloween when he pulled his bullshit?” Grimmjow shook his head. “You’re right that I should let this go. I want to be with Lucy.”

She inhaled sharply and stared at him, holding her breath for a moment as his words rattled around in her head. She took several more breaths before she managed to screw up the courage to ask, “Did you ever love me?” It was a very quiet question.

“No. I held onto you out of spite. I didn’t want Ulquiorra to have you.” This was delivered in a matter of fact way.

She could not comprehend this. She reached out behind herself and grabbed for a chair but slowly fell beside it as she tried to sit in it. She shook her head as she did the math. It had been six months. “Six fucking months. You’ve been lying to me and wasting my time just to break my heart now? Why would you do this to me, Grimmjow?” she squeaked as she started to weep.

Grimmjow wasn’t affected by her tears. He had had enough. “Because it’s either you or Brady. You have to go. Run back to him if you want. You just need to get out of my life. I love my son and I… I love his mother.”

She felt like she was trapped by something very heavy. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what to do. It was only his name on the lease, so he had every legal right to kick her out. She looked around the space. It hadn’t really occurred to her before that he never let her unpack a lot of her stuff. All her art remained packed in boxes and crates. Her art supplies mainly stayed in a classroom on campus and her the rest were boxed up. She only had enough space to use her iPad here.

As she thought this over, she realized her predicament. “I’m going to have to rent a car or something to bring this stuff back,” she murmured, glancing at Grimmjow briefly through blurry eyes and standing up, going to their room to start to pack.

“I can have someone bring it up to you,” Grimmjow called out.

“When?” she asked in a tired voice.

“Soon. Whenever you find a place wherever you’re going.”

She had thrown most of her clothes into a large piece of luggage as he watched her silently. She took her most important artwork and put them in there too. She unplugged her laptop and got it in there and then put on her coat and grabbed her tote and backpack. “Just send it to Rotten as soon as possible,” she said, and let herself out.

***

Orihime got back to Evanston late that afternoon. School was closed. The office was closing up. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want to go back to her apartment. She didn’t feel welcome at Coffee & Sadness. She didn’t want to go to Starrk’s. At the moment, she didn’t want to go into Rotten, either. That’s where she had met her now ex-boyfriend. She was at a loss. She felt numb. Despite the cold, she plopped her ass on the polished granite steps leading up to the entrance to RBM and thought about what Grimmjow had said to her.

He never loved her.

Never.

She couldn’t fathom it. He had acted like he loved her plenty of times. Why would he fake it? Why would he lie to her? Well, he’d lied about a lot, she found out during the course of their relationship.

She let these thoughts swirl around her head as she stared out into space, not realizing she was looking at that angry bird logo she had designed months ago. It was staring right back at her from its perch above the entrance to Coffee & Sadness. Ulquiorra had ultimately decided to let Julie finish the project after he rejected Susan.

She sat there until it was late. She didn’t notice the familiar faces that passed by, giving her worried glances. She just sat there, staring and thinking and freezing.

It was Byakuya Kuchiki who finally told her to stand up and follow him. He marched her into the coffee shop and bought her a cup. “Rangiku,” he said to the woman behind the counter. “Do you have any, um, make-up wipes or anything? My employee has had a rough day.”

Rangiku was working a double shift to cover for Izuru, who was sick. She looked at the man who addressed her and then at the woman he had brought in. Oh shit. “Um, yeah. If you want, you can follow me to the break room, Orihime,” the busty blonde said. She told one of the boys behind the counter to keep an eye on things as she motioned for Orihime to follow her.

Orihime protested at first, but her boss insisted. “Rangiku is a friend, Orihime. She’ll take care of you.” 

The redhead couldn’t refuse her boss, but she wanted to die. He had no idea how much Rangiku was _not_ her friend. She kept a flat expression as she followed the older woman.

Rangiku also kept a neutral expression as she let the redhead into the small break room where she kept her purse. It was one of those huge knock off designer bags that almost looked legit. “Sit down and let me find my wipes. It seems like Byakuya saying you had a rough day was an understatement, huh?” 

Orihime didn’t answer, but did sit down. The last thing she wanted to do was entertain Ulquiorra Cifer’s fucking girlfriend.

“Okay, l get it.” The blonde woman rummaged through her bag and finally found the makeup wipes. She took several out and handed them to Orihime, then put her bag back. “I’ll give you a few minutes to get cleaned up and composed.”

Then she walked to the door and left.

Orihime muttered a thanks after her but didn’t really care if she heard it or not. She wiped her face off and threw the dirty wipes into a small trash can, and then stood up again. She had never been in this room before. She didn’t want to be here. Her stomach flipped around and she suddenly had a strong urge to run.

She couldn’t do that. Her boss was probably still waiting for her. 

There was a small mirror above a sink in the room that she used to look at herself. She looked dead inside. It was fitting, she thought, as she opened the door and made her way back to Mr. Kuchiki.

“I’m going to call Susan,” the elegant man said, pushing the cup of coffee toward Orihime. “I know she has a spare room for you. I do not wish to pry, but I understand that when Grimmjow left Rotten, he asked you to move to Chicago with him?”

Orihime nodded.

“And what about your own apartment?”

She cleared her throat. “Um, I, uh, sublet it.”

He nodded. “Well, I’m sure Susan wouldn’t mind the company. Take a few days off from work if you need it, Orihime. Rotten is on your side, alright?” Byakuya offered her a tiny smile and dialed Susan’s number.

***

She dreamt of rectangular glasses and black hair. She dreamt of broad shoulders and blue hair. She saw flashes of green eyes. The voices attached to the figures seemed to echo one another:

“I don’t want you.”

“I never loved you.”

“He’s dating Rangiku.”

“ _Miss Inoue_.”

She would wake up and stare at the ceiling in Susan’s spare room. This was the third morning she woke up here, the words of the three men she had cared for in her life drifting through her consciousness and reminding her that she was incapable of being loved.

Well, at least her employer was a decent person. For as much as Grimmjow had always bitched about Kuchiki, Orihime found him to be fair and interested in keeping his employees at peak productivity. To that end, he had called her yesterday to talk about her living arrangements.

“So, I have heard some rumors, Miss Inoue. You’re not exactly subletting your apartment, are you? I took the liberty of asking my personal attorney about specific landlord/tenant issues. Is there a time of day that your, er, _houseguest_ is generally gone?”

And that was how the plan was put into place. Orihime called her landlord and explained the situation. They made an appointment for a locksmith to come and change the locks and install a new deadbolt for today when Louise was going to be at the doctor’s office.

She brought her things to the office from Susan’s and waited for Kuchiki’s executive assistant to drive her and her things, including the stuff that Grimmjow had sent from Chicago, to her place. He would stay until the locks were changed.

Renji Abarai was a nice-looking man with eccentric red hair that he generally piled on top of his head in a kind of sloppy, spiky man bun. He was tall and muscular, though. He could have an intimidating aura if he tried, and that’s why Byakuya was lending him to Orihime for this.

The locksmith arrived on time, and within an hour, Orihime was back in her place and Louise was locked out.

“Remember, Byakuya wants you to call the police if she tries to get in again, Orihime. You gonna be okay if I get back to work?”

Orihime nodded at Renji and braced herself for the inevitable. Louise would probably return in less than half an hour. This wasn’t going to be pretty.

***

Grimmjow pushed his way into Starrk’s. Was he dumb for coming up here? Sure. He sighed as he saw Nnoitra and Ulquiorra sitting at the bar. At least he thought it was Ulquiorra. The guy’s head was practically shaved. “Nnoi… Uh, Ulq?”

Green eyes gave the blue-haired man a side-eyed glance. “Yes?” Ulquiorra said in a drawn out manner. 

“What the fuck happened to your head?” He asked as he sat down beside the man. “Where is your hair?”

Nnoitra laughed gleefully. “Ooooh I know the answer to this one! He and Rangiku were having sex and she yanked on his hair so he kicked her out and--”

“Shut up, Nnoitra.” Ulquiorra’s words were flat. He knew he shouldn’t have told the man what happened when he was drunk. “I decided it was time for a change. I’ve had long hair since… Since I can remember.”

Grimmjow raised his eyebrows but said nothing to Ulquiorra. Instead he turned to Nnoitra and said, “Uh, give me one of Starrk’s homebrews. I’ve got to drive back to Chicago tonight.”

“‘Kay, be right back.”

“Where’s Orihime? Did you leave her in Chicago tonight to come up here?” Ulquiorra asked, staring straight ahead. He was taking a long sip from his glass of whiskey.

“We broke up about a week and a half ago. She was causing problems--”

“That must be why I watched her on Coffee & Sadness’ security feeds looking devastated. Rangiku helped her that night. Why?” Ulquiorra asked.

“Why what?”

Ulquiorra finally turned his head to look at his friend with a stern expression. “Why did you break up with her? What kind of problems was she causing? Or did you finally sleep with Lucy?”

Grimmjow seemed to sputter for a moment before he stuttered. “Look, she was supposed to find a job in Chicago. She was coming in here and seeing her mom, probably buying drugs for her, and I had had it. I won’t have anyone come between--Wait a fucking minute. How do you know about Lucy?”

“I did some snooping… That’s a cute kid on her Facebook. Looks kind of like--”

Grimmjow’s nostrils flared in anger. “I swear to God if you do not shut up, I will beat your ass.”

The smug smirk on Ulquiorra’s face was faint, but it was there. “And jeopardize being father of the year? Did you even tell Orihime you had a kid?”

“No. She wasn’t supposed to find out. No one was supposed to find out. How did you find out?” Grimmjow asked.

“She drunk dialed me one night. Told me all about Lucy; how perfect she was and other bullshit,” Ulquiorra replied. He drained the rest of the alcohol in the glass and placed it back on the wooden counter. “It was nice seeing you, Grimmjow, but I have stuff to do.”

As Ulquiorra got his coat on and put a hat on his head, Grimmjow watched him. “So, you going to go after her now that she’s single?”

“No.”

“Why not? You’re free to have her.”

“She didn’t want me.”

***

This was the third time in ten days that she waited for the cops to take Louise away from her door. It was killing her. Yes, she hated her mom’s presence, but it was her _mom_. What kind of person was she, turning her out in this chilly early April weather? 

Byakuya told her to stay strong. He would make sure that if worse came to worse, Susan or someone would put her up for a few days again, but that Orihime’s mother was not her problem to fix. 

It was hard, though. She couldn’t even talk to her aunt about this; Kathy would probably demand that Orihime move down south with her. That wouldn’t work. She had only a little over a month to go before graduation.

Another couple days passed, and Orihime hadn’t heard from Louise again. Maybe the old hag had finally gotten the message and looked up some old friends to scam. When she walked into RBM that afternoon after class, she looked at Susan with a smile that she thought she had lost.

Susan gave her a pinched smile in return.

Byakuya’s office doors opened. Two police officers stood beside him. “Orihime? Could you step into my office?”

***

“Eyy, Lulu, how’s my favorite customer?” Nnoitra asked as he spied Orihime’s mother coming through the door. The woman paid him in blowjobs and promises, and it was about time she paid up.

“Shitty. That bitch still won’t let me in to get my money. I have needs, though, Baby. Can we go in the back?” the grotesque woman purred at the young man.

His stomach did a flip and Nnoitra felt kind of sick. Nah, he didn’t want to go in the back. He had a job to do. Aizen wanted his money for the drugs anyway. “No can do. I need the money,” Nnoitra replied. “I can give you a sample size of your stuff, but I need the money by Friday.”

“Friday is payday. It shouldn’t be a problem. In the meantime, I am fresh as a daisy and willing to help you take the edge off if you help me. I need something a bit stronger. I can take it.”

The tall man narrowed his eyes before he huffed a sigh. “I want my eight hundred dollars on Friday, Louise. No more delays,” Nnoitra stated before he reached into the pocket of his jeans and produced a small baggie. “Listen, do not take this all at once. It’s not been cut with anything, so a small amount should last you all fucking week, got it?”

“Yeah yeah. And don’t worry about the money. Do you know how much perverts will pay to break down a door and choke someone? They get off on it. A friend of mine runs a website. Anyway if you want a go, Orihime is open on Saturday. Five hundred for you, that’s the friends and family discount.”

“Eight hundred on Friday. My supplier wants his money. Get out of here, I’ve got a bar to run.”

“Your loss,” Louise said as she walked out of the bar. The door closed behind her, and that was the last time anyone saw Louise Miller alive.

***

Orihime could not believe it. She looked at her mother’s bloated and blue corpse at the morgue, and after she identified her body, she had to excuse herself to throw up.

They wanted to know everything. Did she know her mom was using illegal substances? Yes. Did she know what kind? No. Did she know how much or how often she used? No.

Did she know who her supplier was?

She lied. She knew who was responsible for this, but she was afraid of it coming back to her or Starrk. She told the police that her mother sometimes took money from her, but obtained her drugs on her own. At least that had been true recently.

She had a lot of paperwork to sign and decisions to make. Death was expensive. She wouldn’t have a service or anything, but she’d have the body cremated. Maybe she’d go back to Warrenville and sprinkle the ashes near where her brother’s had gone. They had no burial plots or ash entombment spots. 

But all that would be dealt with next week. By the time she left the police station, she was at her wits end. It was Friday. It was payday. She was not mentally prepared to deal with what happened. She knew of only one place to go to numb her mind.

She hoped the asshole who killed her mother wasn’t there. Oh well if he was; in the end it was her fault, anyway.

She didn’t even stop at home. She walked straight to Starrk’s. Of course he was there. Luckily for her, it was a bit more crowded than usual and she was able to skirt Nnoitra’s section of the bar to find Starrk himself. “A Death in the Afternoon, please,” she said, sliding her card across the bar to the owner of the establishment. She flared her nostrils at the dark irony, and waited for the quiet man to return.

Of course Nnoitra saw her and came sauntering over. “Hime… Where’s ya momma? Me and her need to have words,” he said leaning on the counter, taking a glance around the bar.

Orihime’s eyes slid over to his slowly, and regarded him without emotion. She looked into his eyes for a very long moment, then answered, “At the morgue.”

“What? Really?” Fucking hell. That meant the idiot hadn’t listened to him and probably overdosed. Nnoitra had to think quickly. Aizen was expecting his money tonight. “She said you had my money. I need it.”

“She lied. Plus dying isn’t free. She left me with debt,” she said, furrowing her brows. Even in death, her mother was a colossal disappointment.

“And? I’m going to get my money one way or another. You had no problem paying me before. You're here ordering drinks, so you must have some money.” Nnoitra’s expression turned mean.

“I do. It’s not hers or yours. I’m not buying anything from you,” she retorted defensively.

His mouth turned up into a slightly sadistic smile. “Yeah? You’re going to pay one way or another, bitch. Count on it.”

Orihime tried not to be too obvious about diverting her gaze or swallowing down her fear. She looked past Nnoitra’s shoulder for Starrk and ignored the taller man.

Nnoitra stood up to his full height and then went back to work, wiping down the bar top and servicing the other customers. He would keep an eye on Orihime tonight. Her dumbass mom had racked up a bill and Orihime was going to pay it, either with cash or ass. He could easily deliver the redhead to Aizen. 

What Nnoitra didn’t realize was that there was another pair of eyes watching Orihime that night. Green eyes with thick straight brows that watched everything she did.

Orihime shuddered with relief after Starrk sat her drink on the counter. She picked it up and walked over to a high top in the room further to the back of the bar and took a long drink, wiping the occasional tear that escaped as she tried to forget about everything. When her drink was done, she flagged down a waitress for another. She didn’t want to run into Nnoitra again. A half hour later she ordered another. 

By the time that one was done, she needed to use the restroom. She climbed down from the high top on wobbly legs and went to the dimly lit hall.

Nnoitra watched as Orihime drunkenly made her way to the restroom. He made a gesture to the other person behind the bar with him and then slipped into the hallway right behind the tiny woman, grabbing her arm and dragging her towards the door that would lead to the back room. He did it quickly, not giving her any time to scream or run. “I want my fucking money. I don’t care if your whore mom is dead. She owes me, which means you owe me. If I can’t get the money, I’m going to beat the fuck out of you,” he growled, throwing Orihime to the floor of the room as soon as the door shut.

She gasped to catch her breath and coughed, the burn of the alcohol she consumed coming back up her esophagus from the impact. After she swallowed it back down, she struggled to her knees, and grasped at a chair to help her regain her balance. “You can’t do this, Nnoitra. You know Grimmjow would…” she trailed off. Grimmjow would do absolutely nothing.

“What’s he gonna do? Nothing, because he’s down in Chicago with his new bitch. He left you. I can totally do this. You act like I haven’t done this before,” he sneered.

“What are you going to do? How much does she owe you?” Orihime was not sober enough to deal with this well, and even if she was, she knew she’d be at a disadvantage. Her vision swam as her eyes swept the room for an exit. The only one was right behind him.

He watched her like a hawk. “Only one way in, _Princess_. Sucks to be you. She owes me over eight hundred dollars. Your mom went through a lot of dope.” 

“I could just tell the cops you were the one who sold it to her. They were asking, by the way,” she said, taking slow breaths as she prepared herself.

Nnoitra crouched down. He knew what his striking radius was, and Orihime was short. There wasn’t really a way for her to reach him. “So do it. You have no proof. I’m just a bartender.”

“It’s your word against mine. I like those odds,” she said in a tense voice before she bolted towards the door, scurrying as close to the wall as she could to avoid him.

Bitches had to be dumb. Nnoitra had her down on the ground, pinned there with his body. He had a fistful of hair in his hand and was pressing her face into the wood floor. He pulled back his other hand and made a fist. “I didn’t want to do this. I know you have money. You coulda' been a nice little lay but no, you want to do things the hard way. Moron.”

He started letting the blows rain down on her face, and when her eye was swollen, he flipped her over. “Maybe--”

The door slowly came open. Ulquiorra stood there with an unimpressed look on his face. “Get off of her, Trash. How much does she owe you?”

Orihime heard a voice but didn’t really place it. When Nnoitra started hitting her, she had gone slack, the same as she did when Louise hit her. She had been thinking of coffee and art and the final project she was working on. When the voice spoke, she cracked her eye open and saw a dark figure from the illustration she was drawing, or would draw, if she survived this encounter. She groaned and closed her eyes again.

“Eight.” Nnoitra’s answer was short and simple.

Ulquiorra sighed and pulled out his wallet. Eight one-hundred dollar bills flew to the floor. “I have the conversation you and Orihime just had recorded on my phone. If you ever come near her again, she will take this information to the police and you can go back to prison, this time for murder. Get off of Miss Inoue and get the fuck back to work.”

Nnoitra glanced at the woman below him and gave her head a yank before he got up and picked up the money. He then pushed Ulquiorra to the side before he went back to the front of the bar.

It was silent in the room for a moment. “Can you walk? I’ve already settled your tab and got your card,” Ulquiorra said.

Orihime didn’t say anything. Her face hurt a lot. She pushed herself up to a seated position and sat there for a moment before saying, “Thank you,” then carefully got to her feet. The room was spinning. She took one step forward and staggered, then grasped her knees as she gagged, but did not throw up. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’ll pay you back.”

There was a sigh from Ulquiorra as he stepped forward and waited by the redhead, just in case she decided to faceplant. “No, you won’t. Don’t thank me either; I’d help out any of my friends anytime I could. Can you walk? We need to get some ice on your face. I don’t feel comfortable leaving you by yourself.”

When he implied that she was his friend, she turned her ugly face toward him, her swollen lip quivering. She nodded slowly, and tried to keep her voice from cracking. “I can, I think.”

Ulquiorra nodded and offered Orihime his elbow just in case she needed to stabilize herself. “I’m sorry to hear about your mother. I only met her twice, but I don’t think the world is going to miss her.”

“How did you know?” she asked. She took a couple of steps and then accepted his arm. She was too drunk and too beat up to manage by herself.

“I was eavesdropping on your conversation with Nnoi. Sorry,” he said. Instead of taking Orihime through the bar, he went through a different door that led out to the street. “My car is up the block. I’m sober. I wasn’t drinking. Do you want my help?” Ulquiorra asked.

“Yes,” she said in a pathetic little voice as her tenative composure broke and she started sniffling and crying quietly. Her body shook. The cool night air didn’t help as the fear of what just happened became realized by her.

He said nothing. She needed to work through her trauma, and everything that had happened to her in the past year was probably going to catch up to her soon. He just patted the hand that was on his arm before leading her to the car.

Ulquiorra opened the passenger side door for her. He helped her in and fastened the seatbelt for Orihime. It took him about fifteen minutes to drive home, parking in the spot behind Coffee & Sadness. After he shut the car off, he sat there staring out the windshield. “Can you walk up the stairs or do you want me to carry you?”

“I can do it,” she replied. She was in no shape to consider the consequences or potential problems this might cause for him. She was barely hanging on to her sanity at the moment. “I’ll just follow you.”

“And fall down the stairs and sue me? Tch, I think not. I’ll help you up the stairs. I’ll get you some coffee and an ice pack. Probably a painkiller or two,” Ulquiorra stated. He got out of the car and waited patiently for her, opening the car door when she was ready to get out.

She struggled a bit as she rose from the seat, but was steady on her legs when she stood. “I had a lot to drink. I should have been more careful, but… I don’t know what to do…” she rambled.

Ulquiorra went slowly as he walked her to the door and unlocked it. There were a lot of things she should have done but it wasn’t his business to comment on it. They were merely friends… Friends who had practically destroyed their friendship. Going up the stairs was a process. “You rest and decide what to do in the morning. I think that’s for the best.”

“Okay. Okay,” she said quietly and then let him lead her the rest of the way inside in silence. His place seemed different. She wasn’t sure if it was the booze or the swelling or for real, but it wasn’t the same place he had invited her to for lasagna and cheesecake.

Ulquiorra took off his coat and hat, not bothering to hang them up in the closet. He just draped them on a bench near the door. He took off his boots, too. “Sit down and take your shoes off. I’m going to get you something for pain, sit here.” It wasn’t a suggestion. It was an order.

The male ran his hand over his short hair before he went into the bathroom to rummage around the cabinets. The only thing he found was some aspirin. It would have to do. He got out two of the white capsules and took them to Orihime. “Water?”

“Yes, please.” 

Now that she was seated, she could tilt her head up a bit without falling over. His place _was_ different. Was someone else living here? There was a rose gold fleece throw blanket tucked over one arm of the sofa. Oh right. Right. She sighed and slumped back into the cushions. He was probably being kind to her because he was a decent person. That’s all this was. He had a life. It didn't actually include her. It was him and Rangiku, now. She closed her eyes so she could live in her fantasies of good coffee and mysterious baristos. This reality would be gone tomorrow anyway.

Ulquiorra followed her gaze and then sighed, too. “Rangiku’s horrible attempt at a gift for me. I told her pink has no place in my apartment. We got into a fight about it.” He went to the kitchen and came back with a glass of water. He also started the drip coffee pot. It wasn’t the espresso machine, but he didn’t have the patience to do all of that. All his anger and emotions were surfacing, and all Ulquiorra wanted to do was punch Nnoitra. But no, he had just thrown the money at the man. He was a fucking idiot.

Orihime didn’t want him, yet he was trying to save her and show her what she missed out on. “Do you want to sleep in my bed? It’s more comfortable than this thing you’re sitting on.”

“Yeah, I do,” she said, her eyes still closed. “Will you stay with me tonight?” As long as her eyes stayed closed, none of this was real. She could say whatever she wanted.

“If you want me to. Let’s get you up and get a cup of coffee… Also an ice pack. Then I’ll tuck you in.”

“Okay.” She let him give her a cup of coffee. It wasn’t the same. It wasn’t his coffee. It was okay; she could imagine it was. After he brought her the ice pack she held it to her face, taking slow sips of the beverage and keeping her eyes shut. Something else about this was different. 

She opened one eye and was able to see him a bit clearly. “You changed your hair,” she said. “I like it.”

He gave her a smile that only lifted one side of his mouth. “Thanks. Rangiku hates it, which makes it the new style for me,” he admitted.


	20. Take Care

True to his word, Ulquiorra stayed by Orihime’s side all that night. He kept checking on her and making sure that her eye wasn’t too bad. She was going to have a massive black eye once it was all said and done. 

He even got more sleep than he had in a couple months. Six hours of sleep in one night. It was unheard of in his world. Without waking Orihime, he got out of bed and decided to go about his morning routine. She needed to rest. She needed to heal from what had happened to her.

Orihime woke up with a pounding headache and short of breath. She had been running from a man with a mask over one eye, obscured by a big hood. He had the same wicked smile as Nnoitra, and that was the only part of his face that she could see except a long tongue that kept lashing out at her. When she realized it was just a nightmare, she turned her head. This wasn’t the smell she was used to. It didn’t smell like her shampoo or Grimmjow. It was familiar though.

_Cloves_. 

_Oh shit. Oh fuck._ _Oh my god, how did this happen?_ Her mind raced as she recalled the previous night. She had been very drunk, but not too drunk to forget.

He had saved her. She owed him her life. He wouldn’t want it, but still… She knew that he deserved appreciation for what he had done for her. 

She got up as softly as she could and tried to remember her way around. When she felt a bit more oriented, she left his bed and ventured out into the rest of the apartment.

“Going somewhere?” Ulquiorra asked from where he was standing in the kitchen. “How are you feeling?”

“I have to use the bathroom and my head is killing me. Um, I know…” She sighed. She didn’t know a damn thing. “Thank you, Ulquiorra. You saved my life.”

He gave a sigh. “Don’t think anything of it. I would--” No, he wouldn’t say that. He didn’t want to get his hopes up. “Do you want an Uber to drop you off at home? I can drive you if you’d like. You look uncomfortable being here.”

“It’s not that… I…” There was no use beating around the bush. She took a deep breath. “I don’t want you to have any trouble.” Her eyes drifted to the throw blanket briefly. “I’ll use the bathroom and we can decide what to do?” she proposed.

Again his eyes followed hers. “Trouble? From whom? I’m an adult who makes his own decisions. I’ll have a cup of coffee ready for you when you come back out.” He disappeared behind the huge bookcase and started grinding coffee beans and working the espresso machine.

Obviously Orihime had a problem with Rangiku.

Orihime went into the bathroom and did her business, then got up to wash her hands and saw her face. She didn’t recognize herself. Her left eye was purple and swollen nearly shut. Her lip was not much better. “Oh, God. Oh my god,” she muttered as she examined herself. No wonder he was acting so weird. She looked like a monster.

She came out and stood in the living room awkwardly, waiting for him. 

Ulquiorra came out of the kitchen a moment later, holding a paper cup with the Coffee & Sadness bird printed on it. “Triple espresso with a shot of skim milk and some whipped cream,” he said, holding the cup out to her.

She tried to smile, but it just hurt. “Thank you. Since when…” _No._ It was none of her business if he or his girlfriend drank skim milk. “The whipped cream is a treat.”

He shrugged. “I figured you would need it with everything that has been happening lately. You’re more than welcome to stick around here if you’d like, but I have to get down to the shop and help Ethan open.”

She shook her head. “It wouldn’t be good for me to be here when she gets here, I think. When I came back… It was just really awkward. Mr. Kuchiki thought it was a good idea, but she was not happy.” Orihime didn’t know why it was so impossible to say the other woman’s name.

Ulquiorra nodded. “I know. I watched you on the security cam feeds. She doesn’t--” He stopped and then shook his head. Orihime wouldn’t care if he was just using her or if they were on again and off again. “The offer is there. If you need help, or if you need anything, let me know, okay?”

“It’s Saturday, right? I just need to go home, and I have to meet with a funeral home person today, I think… It’s hard to remember, they said so much yesterday.” She didn’t realize she that sat down before she looked up at him again. 

“My mom is dead,” she said, almost confused. “She’s actually dead.”

He nodded again. He knew what it was like to have dead parents. He’d been without his since he was young. “Yeah, it’s a surreal thing sometimes. I can relate to what you’re going through. I lost my parents at a young age.”

“Were you close to them?” she asked.

“I don’t remember. They died when I was four or five,” he said, then rubbed his forehead. “I don’t really remember them all that well.”

“Oh,” she replied, feeling sad for him. “My mother was always the way she was. It’s hard to understand how to feel.” She took a sip of the coffee he had given her. Her chest flooded with an unknown feeling. This is what she had been missing. She sniffed. “You always make the best coffee,” she whimpered, then started to cry.

Ulquiorra shifted his weight from one leg to the other. He was trying not to get sucked into his feelings concerning the woman. He had never let them go and still felt as deeply for her as he had months ago. “Sometimes we all deserve the best, Orihime,” he stated. 

She took a deep breath to try to calm herself. She was semi successful. “You definitely do,” she said in as warm a voice as she could muster. “I’m glad— I’m really glad to see you again, despite circumstances.” She looked down at the cup in her hands. What she said was true.

“You do, too. You deserve better.” Ulquiorra shook his head and sighed. “You’ll be okay.”

She nodded, but didn’t look up at him. She knew when she was being dismissed. “Eventually,” she replied, trying to be brave. She stood up and walked around the sofa toward the door. “I should get out of your hair.”

“You’re not bothering me. You’re welcomed here anytime. I’m willing to leave you here because I trust you,” Ulquiorra replied. “I have to get to work, though. Please don’t think you’re bothering me.”

She turned her face toward him but didn’t look in his eyes. “I would, though, if I stayed. She doesn’t want me here.”

He swallowed. There was no way he could explain his relationship with Rangiku without sounding like an asshole. “This isn’t her place. It’s mine.”

“I know. Still, I am not worth the trouble.” She walked to the door. “I will come back for coffee when my face doesn’t look like it’s been through a machine,” she said with a self-effacing laugh.

He didn’t think it was funny, but he gave her a hint of a smile. “I’ll see you around then, Orihime. Remember what I said, if you need anything, just text me.”

“Okay,” she lied. She knew she wouldn’t text him. Even being here with him like this, knowing that he wasn’t free to have the same relationship he had with her as before -whatever it had been- was killing her. “See ya,” she said and let herself out.

Ulquiorra waited ten minutes before he left his apartment and entered the coffee shop. He knew that if he went out that door after her, there would be no way he’d be able to stop himself from begging her to stay. 

Ethan was already bitching at the morning guys, and as soon as he saw Ulquiorra, the words intensified.

“Where the fuck have you been? I texted Ran, but she said you spent the night alone.”

Well that explained why his phone wouldn’t stop vibrating in his pocket while he was talking to Orihime. Ulquiorra hadn’t checked it, because he didn’t want any distractions while dealing with the redhead. He still didn’t want the distraction. He wished he could tell her how little Rangiku meant to him. “I had something to deal with this morning,” Ulquiorra said and began working.

***

Orihime kept her head down as she walked quickly back to her place. It took her about half an hour. When she got to her building, she was confused. The street door had been broken. She cautiously walked up the stairs, a feeling of dread growing with each step. She sucked in a sharp breath when she looked into her broken, open door, and her stomach heaved. 

Her bed and desk were overturned; closet torn apart. In the middle of it all was one of her sketch pads opened with a note written in thick black marker. 

_I paid $800 for this! Where the fuck are you?! I want my money back NOW or I will be back to claim what I paid for with interest. You think your little rape fantasy was going to be safe and quiet? Think again, you conniving whore!_

She freaked out. She sprinted down the stairs and back to the street. He said she could ask him for anything. He was her lifeline at the moment.

Less than twenty minutes later, she stood, grasping her knees and gasping for breath in front of Coffee & Sadness. She looked through the glass door before she went in.

Rangiku was there. She had her arms wrapped around his torso as she stood behind him, whispering something in his ear.

He was smiling.

She closed her eyes. She was stupid to come here. She turned around and walked to RBM, let herself into the office, and called her boss. 

She regretted this decision soon afterward. Byakuya happened to already be in his office, and when he came out and saw her face and heard the story about the break-in, he got the police involved. They searched her apartment. They made reports. Kuchiki insisted that Renji come in on his day off and help Charlie, the new intern, pack up Orihime’s apartment and bring her belongings to RBM’s storage rooms. He didn’t want her in harm’s way, and he determined that her apartment was no longer safe.

She couldn’t disagree.

After all was said and done, he called her for a chat. 

“Orihime, I want you to know that you’re a valued member of the Rotten Brand Management team.”

“Thank you—“

“Listen to me, Orihime. You’ve been through a lot, lately. You have to go through more, sadly. I want you to take a leave of absence. I’ve already called your advisor at Northwestern and they’re willing to let you take bereavement leave and resume your studies in the fall.”

“But I’m so close to graduating, I—“

“Have you even begun your final projects? You barely have a month to complete them! You need help, Orihime. Serious help. I want you to stay with Susan this weekend, and then on Monday come to the office. I’ll have a plan for you to consider then.”

***

Because he didn’t answer his phone, Rangiku came into the shop. She came up behind him and slipped her arms around his waist, then started whispering in his ear. She was tickling him and she knew it. It was really the only time Ulquiorra laughed or smiled around Rangiku.

The moment he saw Orihime turn and walk away from the front of the shop, Ulquiorra pushed the busty blonde woman away. Of course Rangiku saw Orihime, and that, combined with the fact that he was distancing himself from her, caused the biggest public screaming match inside of Coffee and Sadness to date. 

Ethan had to ask them to take it upstairs, which they did, still screaming at each other.

Ulquiorra told Rangiku the entire truth. “I don’t love you, Ran. I can’t. I still--”

“I know. I know you have feelings for her, Ulquiorra. I see it on your face all the time. I guess we’re done. I can’t be the runner up for someone’s emotions,” Rangiku said.

Ulquiorra nodded, sat heavily down on the couch, and put his head in his hands as Rangiku left. The apartment door closed quietly, leaving him in silence. 

***

On Monday, the decision had been made. Orihime’s request for bereavement leave was approved by the University, so she packed a bag and left for the suburbs. Her mother’s ashes would be delivered to her new temporary home: an inpatient mental health hospital. She would stay there for ten days, and after she completed the inpatient therapy, she would stay at a rental property Mr. Kuchiki owned. She was going to be doing some light filing and reception at the RBM West satellite office. She would continue to do individual and group therapy at least twice a week.

Byakuya wanted her to be better when she returned to Evanston. He even gave her a creative work order. He had high hopes for her. He expected a return on this investment.

Before she left, she decided to send Ulquiorra a message.

  * Hi. I wanted to tell you that I’m leaving town for a little while. Somebody broke into my place and my school is giving me bereavement leave for the rest of the semester, so I’ll graduate later, I guess. Thank you again, so much, for what you did this past weekend. I’m sad that I’m going to have to settle for subpar coffee for awhile. 



She reread the message after she sent it and felt dissatisfied. She was leaving. She wouldn’t have to see him for a long time. She could tell him how she felt, at least a little.

  * I miss you. I’ll miss you. Take care of yourself, okay?



***

Ulquiorra was devastated when he got her message. He sniffled over a cup of coffee and shook his head. He was being ridiculous. She was going on with her life and Ulquiorra couldn’t stop her. He couldn’t tell her everything he thought or felt about her. It took him several hours after her last message to text her back.

  * You take care of yourself. Maybe we’ll run into each other one of these days.



Swallowing his pride, Ulquiorra called Rangiku. She wasn’t mad. She wasn’t angry. They had been friends for years and she wouldn’t let a little thing like this get between them.

“Thanks Rangiku. Listen,” Ulquiorra started saying.

“Don’t apologize again.”

“I wasn’t. I’m going to Highland Park for a while. I’m taking a vacation. Maybe I’ll travel. I just need--”

There was a sigh on the other end of the line. “Do it, Ulq. You’ve been working non-stop since you got out of prison. Go enjoy yourself. Relax. Take a cruise. Go rent a house in the middle of Door County for a month or two.”

He knew she was right. He knew she was only suggesting that because it was true. “I’ll think about it, Rangiku.”

“Take care of yourself Ulq. Sleep more.”

This was twice in as many days that someone was telling him to take care of himself. “Okay. You’re still going to work for me, right?”

“With a raise,” she said, laughing.

“Consider it done. I’ll let you know my plans.”

***

Mr. Kuchiki noticed Mr. Cifer’s absence after about a month. He had been into C&S to get his own coffee after work regularly for a while now. Tonight, he was curious.

“Miss Matsumoto, what happened to your employer? I haven’t seen him around in some time.”

“Um, hey, Byakuya. Ulquiorra? He’s um… He’s taking some time off,” Rangiku said, stumbling over her words at the man’s question. She wasn’t sure how to tell people about Ulquiorra’s decision to take a vacation.

The businessman nodded. “Sounds like a great idea. My employee, Miss Inoue…” He sighed here, unsure whether it was any of his business to be passing on this information, but he was feeling sentimental. “She used to really enjoy coming in here. It seems lonely without either of them here.” 

Rangiku sighed. She felt Ulquiorra’s absence the most. “Yeah, I kind of miss both of their faces and their banter sometimes,” she replied. “How is Orihime?”

Byakuya frowned. “It’s a slow process. She checks in once a week and assures me she is making strides towards recovery, but her mother’s death and the intruder… Who would do something like that to their own daughter? It’s disgusting,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Be careful, they caught the man who broke into her place, but apparently there is a website that those sickos use to set up these violent fantasy things.” He closed his eyes and exhaled quickly out of his nose. He looked back at her and stared into her eyes for a moment. “Keep your doors locked.”

“The door is always locked where I live,” she said in a confident voice. Rangiku gave him a brief smile. “I live where you need to be buzzed into the building. But it’s good that Orihime is making progress. I’m glad. It’s so sad to hear about someone losing their parent.”

He nodded. “Indeed. Well, usually. In her case I believe it was a blessing. If you hear from Mr. Cifer, give him my regards, will you?” he said as he picked up his order off the counter.

She gave him a brilliant smile. “I will, Byakuya! Make sure you come back and visit me. Have a good night.”

***

**5.17.2020**

_Sorry for the quiet blog as of late. I have been busy working offsite for my company, and for myself. Part of my absence is beyond my control, and I have had limited access to the outside world until now. I have a big project in the works, though, and I’m really excited to unveil it, but it’s top secret for now_. 

She added a drawing of a happy sparrow flying with a small flower in its beak.

_Today’s playlist: The Reason - Hoobastank, Fix You - Coldplay, Stand - REM, Shake It Out - Florence and the Machine, Nothing Else Matters -Metallica, Answer - Sarah McLachlan_

***

Ulquiorra spent two weeks in Highland Park in that empty mansion, watching spring unfold in front of him. The trees budded with blossoms; birds and different animals were seen out and about.

He was pretty shut in during his time at his family home.

Then Ulquiorra decided to go to New York City; after that he went to London. City after city. Stamp after stamp in his passport. Tickets, airplanes, hotel rooms; the weeks turned into months. 

Ulquiorra was still nowhere near having any peace of mind. Being away from Evanston just made his heart ache more. 

He was standing in Kyoto, Japan, at the end of August, when he decided to call Rangiku. 

“Hey, Ulq. Where are you calling from?” She asked.

“I’m coming home soon.”

“Soon?”

“I’ll be home in a couple of days.”

“Oh.” Her tone sounded worried.

“What happened?”

There was a long pause. “You’ll see when you get here,” Rangiku said.


	21. Cloves and Tobacco

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Orihime has project that is referenced in this chapter. You can see it [HERE](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yLsOqQzyDVxy-OZA8MmVVgsc6BvsMlTA/view?usp=sharing)  
> as a PDF, or as low quality jpgs [HERE ON TUMBLR](https://jkrobertson.tumblr.com/post/616506620283863040/the-perfect-cup)  
> 

“In the city was a girl. A girl who loved coffee. A coffee girl,” Lucy began in a singsong voice. Courtney had recommended this book to her and brought her a copy. It was a big hit among the nanny crowd. Lucy thought the drawings were sweet and wistful and Brady seemed to like it, so this was the third night in a row she read it to him while Grimmjow finished the dinner dishes before he came in to read him another few stories.

“And in the city was a shop. A modern, warm, and cozy spot; a coffee shop.”

Grimmjow appeared in the doorway as she finished the line.

“Hey Babe, do you want to finish this one? I have to make a call…” Lucy looked up at him with pleading eyes.

Grimmjow smiled at the blonde woman and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll finish reading it to him, though he’s probably heard this story a million times. He always asks for someone to read it to him,” he said as he looked at his girlfriend. Hopefully in a couple of hours, Lucy would be something completely different to him. “Hey Luce?”

“Yeah?” she asked, smiling at him as she took Brady off of her lap and set him down beside her on his bed.

“Can we talk later? I have something I want to ask you.”

Her smile widened. “Absolutely,” she said, walking over and pecking his lips before slipping past him and heading to the door. “Don’t stay up too late! Only a couple more stories.”

The blue-haired man read his son four more stories before he left the room, leaving Brady’s bedroom door opened just a crack. He found Lucy sitting in her home office. “You done?” he asked leaning against the door frame.

She spun around in the swivel chair and looked up at him. “Yeah, what’s up? You wanted to talk to me about something?”

“I want you to become my wife.” Simple and straight to the point. Grimmjow reached into the pocket of his jeans and produced a black velvet ring box. “I love you, Lucy.”

She grinned at him and shook her head, chuckling a bit. “Well, it took you damn long enough. When do you want to do it?” she asked, standing and approaching him with an outstretched hand. Despite her no-nonsense words, her eyes were soft and glassy.

He took the ring out of the box and playfully chucked the container behind him. He’d pick it up later. “Next week? I’ll call Nnoitra--” Grimmjow saw her look of disgust and cleared his throat. “I’ll call Ulq to be our witness. I wonder if he’s back in the States again.”

She snorted. “Fine, but I  _ will _ have a real wedding later. I deserve a huge party after waiting for you for four years.”

“I had to do some growing up,” Grimmjow replied in a serious tone before he grabbed her by the hips and slipped the ring onto Lucy’s finger. “You deserve everything. We’ll get married. I’ll knock you up again, and then we can have a big shotgun wedding, okay? I’m kidding about the knocking you up again.”

“Well, too late, because unless we wait until next year, it _will_ be a shotgun wedding,” she said with a wide, evil grin, then bit her bottom lip and waited for a reaction.

Grimmjow’s eyes went wide and he looked at his woman. “Yeah? Are you serious? Oh man. We need to tell Braids he’s gonna be a big brother then.”

“Maybe after we tell him that Mom and Dad are married,” she said.

***

It was weird. Being back in Evanston was like stepping back in time. It wasn’t exactly the same, though; she wasn’t the same person she had been when she left. She had a new apartment. She had a little old car. She had some stability in her thoughts and emotions. She was a published children’s book author.

She never expected that when Byakuya sent her back to Warrenville she would end up this way nearly five months later. She had been so broken back in April, both physically and mentally. Those ten days in in-patient therapy had been hard, but so worth it. The continuing therapy helped. She slowly began to accept that she wasn’t just Louise’s worthless daughter. She was her own person. She deserved love, even if it was only the love she gave herself.

She still had her down moments, or days, or even weeks. It hadn’t been all rainbows and sunshine after that first breakthrough. She had to face some other hard truths, too. She had been to the doctor for a physical for the first time since she was a child. She had been given a lecture about her sexual irresponsibility. She was grateful to get confirmation that Grimmjow hadn’t left her with any unexpected surprises in the way of diseases. 

She was also lectured about her use of alcohol to deal with her problems instead of working through them in a mature, healthy way. She still drank now and then, but she no longer tried to drown herself in a bottle whenever she couldn’t cope.

The thing with the book had been a trip. Byakuya came to visit her at the end of April and told her that a friend of his was starting up a publishing company with a group of investors, and he was one such investor. He had seen her illustrations that were in storage at RBM, and knew she was studying creative writing in addition to art. He encouraged her to write a book for him, as a personal favor. It would be a test for this new publishing company. RBM would help with the publicity. He told her not to expect huge things, and she hadn’t.

They had both been wrong.  The Perfect Cup was a best-seller. The text was sweet and the cadence was cute and catchy. The illustrations were very much in line with the Coffee & Sadness angry bird logo.

She dedicated her book to several people:

_ To Byakuya, Susan, Karen, Julie, Charlie, and everyone at Rotten Brand Management, for making this book possible. _

_ To Aunt Kathy, for giving me the best she could. I love you. _

_ To GJ, for pushing me away and forcing me to find myself _

_ To UC, for whom this book was written, and who does things that make me very happy. _

She sighed as she sat on her bed in her new place in a building a couple blocks closer to work than her old one. She swung her legs back and forth. She still had nearly three weeks before classes started back up for her last semester, part two.

Maybe some coffee was in order?

***

Rangiku picked him up from O’Hare. She drove him back to Evanston in silence. When he walked into his coffee shop there was a celebration. People welcomed him back. Rangiku smiled and handed him his vest and tie.

Ulquiorra felt rested, but his mind was still full of turmoil. His hair was growing longer. He put on that mask of indifference and went to change into his uniform. He didn’t want to interact with customers, but since Rangiku was his boss, she made him run the cash register. Ulquiorra was very surprised to see the same old lady walk in and order her coffee. He was surprised to see someone come in with the RBM stationary and order a weird seven cup order. 

By the time his break time rolled around Ulquiorra was ready to leave for the day, but he stood outside and smoked his cigarette. When he came back, Rangiku handed him a package, wrapped in brown paper. 

“What’s this?”

“A welcome home present,” she said.

So he opened it. He tore the paper off and saw a book inside of it. It was titled,  The Perfect Cup , by Orihime Inoue. His mouth dropped open, and Ulquiorra had to take a seat at the nearest table. 

Orihime… She had gotten a book published. 

Ulquiorra flipped the cover open. The Perfect Cup told the story of a young woman who went into a coffee shop. There she encountered a barista with whom she became infatuated. She would watch him and imagine what kind of secret life he led after he left the coffee shop. The drawings that followed made him smile, with his teeth showing. 

He was a knight who fought off a white and orange dragon. He was a pirate who sunk a blue-haired pirate’s ship. The next page he was a bat-like superhero and thief who stole the heart of a redheaded woman. He was a rockstar ready for the stage. He was a police chief.

There were few words to tell the story. Mostly just images.

As he neared the end of the book, the woman discovered that the barista was just a normal guy who loved making coffee, and made her the perfect cup. The book ended with the words, “And it made her very happy.”

Ulquiorra had to blink rapidly to hold back his emotions. This was a deeply intimate, and very weird gift. He looked up at Rangiku with a pained expression. “Why?” He asked his former lover.

“Look at the dedication,” Rangiku said, with an equally painful look.

So he did. Ulquiorra read it. 

He had to take great gulps of air to maintain his composure. 

_ To UC, for whom this book was written, and who does things that make me very happy. _

He made her happy? Ulquiorra made Orihime happy? She seemed very unhappy around him. His green eyes raised from the book to the door of Coffee & Sadness when it opened, the bell chiming. There she stood. Orihime.

Fuck. 

He was still in love with her.

Orihime didn’t know what she expected when she walked into Coffee & Sadness. She hoped it would still feel like home. She hoped it would still smell the same; with the coffee and the baked goods and the-- 

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. 

_Cloves and tobacco._ Safety. Happiness.

Tears sprung to her closed eyes and her chin wobbled. She breathed slowly and tried to get it together. A few breaths later and she opened her eyes, blinking away the remaining wetness after wiping them with her fingertips, and walked past the entryway into the line at the register. She hadn’t seen Ulquiorra yet; her vision was too blurred during her approach to the line.

She blinked a few more times and it cleared more. She saw Rangiku come near the counter. Of course she was still here. She offered the woman a small smile and looked down at her feet.

He pushed the chair he was sitting in back and stood up. Ulquiorra walked until he was standing in front of the redhead, leaving the book where it lay on the table. He focused on her face. “Orihime,” he said; his voice quiet.

Her face rose to his quickly, and her brown eyes widened. “Ulquiorra?” she asked, as if she would ever in a million years mistake his voice for someone else’s. She felt a swell of emotion expand her chest, and despite a small voice in her head telling her to be cool; don’t get carried away, a glowing, unguarded smile broke her previously uncertain expression. “Hi, I’m back,” she said.

“I just got back today; this morning,” he stated. Ulquiorra reached a pale hand out to Orihime and took her hand. “Come upstairs with me, please?”

Well, this was a surprise. “Um, okay?” she responded, her cheeks brightening a bit and her head tilting in confusion.

The man turned and looked at Rangiku, who just nodded. “Can you put the book in the office? I’m going to--”

Rangiku waved him off. “Go. We got this,” she said, grabbing the book and taking it behind the counter.

His face turned pink as he turned back to Orihime. “We need to talk.”

“Alright,” she said, following him as he stepped toward the private exit. “You can start by telling me where you went,” she offered to try to keep things from getting too tense too quickly.

“Uh, around the world. London, France, Berlin, Athens, Dubai, Sydney, Seoul, Tokyo...” Ulquiorra trailed off as he closed the door behind him. He pulled her closer to him as he started up the stairs. “Have you been taking care of yourself?”

Those were the words in that last text he sent her. The words she had read over and over and over again. The words she read when she felt like giving up. The words she read when she needed courage to do the right things for herself, even when she felt afraid. “I have. I’ve been working really hard to take care of myself,” she admitted quietly.

Ulquiorra was silent as they continued up the stairs. He unlocked the door to the apartment and let Orihime inside. “Good. I’m glad. I make you happy?”

Well, he must have seen or heard about the book. She looked into his eyes and felt that same old urge to fall into them and fantasize, but resisted. “More than anyone I’ve ever met,” she answered, not breaking eye contact as her heart pounded.

Ulquiorra had to swallow at the truth that came from her mouth. He shuffled his body closer to Orihime and tilted her face up. “You make me happy, too,” he murmured. “Do you want another blind taste test?” 

“I do?” she asked, her brows rising in disbelief. “Another blind taste test?” 

He had her against the door the next moment. He didn’t do anything but slowly stroke the sides of her neck. “Do you close your eyes when we’ve kissed?”

Her lips were slightly parted, and she breathed a couple of times before she licked her dry lips and whispered, “Yes.”

“Then it’s a blind taste test,” he murmured before lowering his mouth to hers. 

This time, when he kissed her, there wasn’t a mental barrier between them on her end. This time, when he kissed her, a tiny whine escaped her throat and she pushed back into it, her small hands finding their way to his chest, the fingers curling into the front of his vest.

Ulquiorra broke the kiss a moment later, letting out a small sigh. “Can we be friends again?” He asked, voice trembling slightly as he continued to touch her neck.

She nodded, reaching her hands up the front of his vest and pulling him down into a tight hug, with her chin over his shoulder and lips close to his neck. “I would do anything,” she whispered, trying not to cry. “Anything to be your friend again.”

“Is the big author busy tomorrow night?” Ulquiorra hid his face in her hair, letting his arms wrap around her waist.

“No. I am free every night from now until the end of time,” she said with a watery chuckle.

“Heh.” It was an echo of Orihime’s laugh. “Can I try to make you fall in love with me?”

This time she sniffed and swallowed and blinked tears out of her eyes before she answered. “You won’t have to try very hard,” she squeaked.

Ulquiorra almost stopped breathing for a moment. He wouldn’t have to try very hard? Was she serious? The green-eyed man pulled back to look at Orihime. He breathed her name once before kissing her slowly again.

She could barely believe this. Her eyes fluttered closed again and she returned his kiss, letting her mouth mold against his and keeping her hands behind his ears. It was her heart on her lips, and she could taste his on the tip of his tongue. There was no wild sense of urgency. When the kiss broke, she sighed and laid her head against his chest for a moment to catch her breath.

“Ulquiorra?”

“Orihime?”

“Thank you.”

His forehead wrinkled as he heard her words. “Why are you thanking me, and for what?”

She squeezed him around his waist and sighed, releasing some old hurt that had been hanging around her. “For you. For saving me. For being you and for seeing me and wanting to know me. For making me coffee. For being my friend. I am so, so grateful for you. Thank you,” she breathed.

He gave another small laugh. “I will make you coffee any time you want. I will be your friend and your lover until there is no more life in me,” he whispered to her.

Orihime held him tighter. She didn’t want to sound insecure, but she had to know. “Why?”

He hummed, running his hands through her hair. Ulquiorra pressed his body against her, just to let her know how she was affecting him as he brought his head down again. His lips hovered above her mouth just as he had done in the bathroom at Starrk’s almost a year ago. His lips parted and he flicked his tongue against her upper lip before he pulled back. Ulquiorra had to take a moment to calm himself, breathing deeply. “Why? Why not? You know about me and aren’t afraid of me. You’ve never once tried to use me. The first day I saw you I wanted to be with you. I would do anything for you, Orihime.”

It was all too much to comprehend. She hiccuped, choked, and took a harsh breath. “You and Rangiku?” she asked. She had to know that, too.

“She never mattered to me. She was just a bandaid to help me through your rejection,” he answered.

Another hiccup. “You have to know, the reason I did that was never because I didn’t want you. It was my misplaced sense of loyalty to Grimmjow. I couldn’t be his girlfriend and friends with you, not when I…I...” she cried for a moment before continuing.

After gasping a couple of breaths she pulled back and steeled herself for her confession. “Not when I had stronger feelings for you than I had for him.”

“He’s getting married, you know, to that Lucy. He asked me to be a witness when they went to the courthouse,” Ulquiorra said. He pulled Orihime closer. “I understand why you couldn’t be friends with me. We both felt too much for each other. I still feel that much for you, though.”

She looked at his face and then watched as her fingers slid up the sides of his cheeks and sunk into his hair, then looked back at his face. “I didn’t know that. Good for them. Good for Brady,” she said with a small smile. She stared at him like she always used to do and then stood on tiptoe to peck his lips with a soft, lingering kiss. She dropped back down to her heels and found his eyes again before adding, “I still feel that way about you, too. It only gets stronger over time.”

“So you’ll have dinner with me? You’ll be with me?” Ulquiorra was back to asking questions.

“Yes,” she said with rising inflection and a quirky smile. “Let’s start with dinner and see where it goes?” Her heart was telling her to ask him to marry her, but her mind told her heart to have patience; that he was worth taking the proper steps to avoid repeating the kind of mistakes she had made in her previous relationships.

“Sounds good,” he said with a smile. “Um...” Ulquiorra suddenly felt like a ball of nerves as he looked at Orihime. He was offering everything he had to her in an emotional sense. Was he dumb? “Right, we should take it slow instead of just jumping in feet first.”

Her smile widened and she blushed a deep pink, embarrassed for both of them. “I mean, there is no one else I’d rather fall off a cliff for, but I'm expecting the scenery on the path down to the water to be worth looking at, if you know what I mean…” She wasn’t quite sure she knew what she meant with that clunky metaphor, but hoped he got it anyway.

“You mean taking the scenic route instead of just running from point A to point B?” He shook his head then pressed his lips to her forehead. “We can get to know each other better before we do this.”

She giggled. “Uh, I think we’re doing this,” she paused, bringing her right hand down and resting it over his heart, “already.”


	22. Hazelbutts

After their emotional reunion the night before, they decided to go out and grab a bite at a sandwich place down the block and caught up, Ulquiorra telling her about his travels and Orihime filling him in on some things she learned about herself and what she did during her time away. She also mentioned that her aunt’s birthday was coming up. 

Ulquiorra sent her a text later that night offering to put a gift basket together, having remembered that they talked about doing that for Christmas last year before things between them deteriorated.

The next day, Orihime stayed at the office until six thirty, packed up, and headed over to the coffee shop. 

Ulquiorra was waiting behind the counter, pouring four black coffees while Izuru rang up the customer. When he saw Orihime, he smirked at her and then pushed the coffees to the pick up counter. Then he came around to her. “Hey,” he said.

She smiled at him before saying anything, looking at his face and then letting her eyes trail down his vest a bit. She caught herself before her gaze fell too far south, then cleared her throat and blushed as she made eye contact again. “Hey.”

His face turned pink, too. “So, um, I picked out a couple things for your aunt. Wanna see?” Ulquiorra didn’t wait for her to answer before he pulled her along to where the gift basket was.

She nodded as they went. “This is gonna be interesting,” she said. She always thought he had a remarkable sense of what she liked, and wondered if this gift applied to everyone equally.

“I got her a tea sampler. It has one of each of the tea packets we carry. Uh, coffee lotion, vanilla lotion, a chocolate scented candle and this,” he said, putting the tube of lip balm in her hand. On the front it said _Hazelbutts_.

“What the?” Orihime said, then laughed loudly at the name. “Who came up with this? It’s hilarious.”

“Izuru’s girlfriend makes handmade stuff. It’s basically Nutella lip balm,” Ulquiorra replied.

“Well, this is all perfect. Kathy will love it. Thank you,” she said, the mirth on her face gentling a bit as she looked up at him.

“I bought you a tube, too,” he said shyly. “Um, also, I was going to include a three sample pack of coffee… We’ve got cinnamon vanilla, dark chocolate, and regular.”

Orihime nodded. “She’s going to think I’m spoiling her,” she said. “How much do I owe you?”

He shook his head. “Nothing,” he said.

“Oh come on,” she said, swiping her hand at his chest with a featherlight touch. “What, do you want to put your name on the card, too?”

He shook his head again. “I’m leaving my business card in there. Honestly, it’s the least I could do for you. If you want to pay me back, let me take you out again in a couple of days.”

She made a bit of a duck face and looked at him from the side. “I don't think that’s how paying someone back works, but I’m not going to say no.”

Ulquiorra chuckled, grabbed the basket, and motioned for Orihime to follow him. “We’re gonna go upstairs. I have cheddar broccoli soup in the slow cooker.”

“Oh my god. Can I just, like, have you cater for me sometime?” _Well then, Orihime. Let’s cool our jets, shall we?_ She had just resolved to take her time to properly get to know him, not throw herself at him. She took a deep breath and followed up the stairs. “I like soup.”

Ulquiorra looked at her and nodded. “Good, because I made a lot of it, so you’re going to take some home and I need to put the rolls in the oven. Nothing fancy; they came from the freezer section of the grocery store. I figured we can eat that and watch Batman, if you want, or see if something is on Netflix.”

“Okay,” she agreed. She watched with interest as his legs and ass powered his body up the stairs. He looked so effortless and elegant. “Have you always dressed so formally? You always seem well put-together,” she asked as if it were _just_ a passing thought.

“Kind of,” he answered. “My uncle said I should look my best when in public. You never know who is going to take a photo of you.”

Orihime smiled. “Well, in your case, I can see the argument.”

“I also went to schools where there were etiquette classes and stupid sports events for rich kids,” he stated a moment later. “It was always, look your best to impress.”

“We’re like, opposites,” she said. “Grimmjow was going to show me where you grew up, once, but as usual, he said one thing and did another,” she remarked with a chuckle.

Ulquiorra stopped and looked at her. “He told you?”

“He mentioned a big house. I assume someone else lives there now,” she said. It was nothing more than a curiosity to her.

“No, the house is still mine. It is empty. I stayed there for a couple of weeks before I went travelling,” Ulquiorra sighed and resumed walking. He didn’t say anything else until they reached his apartment. After unlocking the door, he went inside, waving Orihime in and taking off his shoes. “I’m going to get changed, you’re more than welcome to tag along.”

She blushed, taken by surprise at his offer. “Do you want me to pick out your outfit?”

“No; I usually wear comfortable stuff around the apartment. Nothing fancy. T-shirts, jeans. Sometimes, if it’s cold outside, warm pants. I always wear socks.” He talked as he moved down the hall and slipped into the bedroom. The vest came off. The shirt came off and he stood there in just the dress pants and socks he wore.

“Why socks?”she asked, standing in the doorway and pretending this was no big deal, trying to sound casual despite the circumstances. Her eyes flickered over his body every couple of seconds no matter how hard she tried not to. “Are you cold?”

Ulquiorra’s head shook. “No, um, I think my feet are weird looking?”

Orihime narrowed her eyes and stepped forward. “Let me see your hands,” she demanded, a pleasant look on her face as she held her hands out to him.

He held them out, his fists closed. Ulquiorra felt almost vulnerable as he did so. “What are you looking at?”

She picked up the weight of each fist in her smaller hands and held them a bit higher for inspection. “Open, please,” she asked sweetly. “I want to see your anatomy.”

Ulquiorra burst out laughing. She wanted to do what? “That doesn’t require my hands open. It does require my clothes off though,” he joked. Slowly, he opened his hands, though.

She gave him an unimpressed glare, which quickly evaporated as her eyes turned to his hands. She looked at them both for a moment, holding them up and turning them a bit, then put one down carefully and took the other in both hands. She took her time looking at the skeletal structure, the tendons, even the muscles in his forearms and the amount of webbing between the fingers. “You have lovely hands,” she muttered as she continued to examine it. “I’m sure your feet are lovely as well,” she assured him with a smile as her eyes rose back up to his.

He looked at her for a long moment before sliding his hands up her arms. “You are just lovely,” Ulquiorra replied. He watched his fingertips trace the line of her neck and then her jaw. “Gorgeous.”

Her face heated and she had to look away. “You’re just saying that,” she whispered.

“Do I look like someone who flatters another person for the hell of it?”

Orihime shrugged. “I don’t think people have any kinds of physical markers to flag him or her as a flatterer,” she explained, chancing an embarrassed look at his eyes.

He smirked. “I’m not one to bullshit people, Orihime. It makes me tired to needlessly compliment people who do nothing to deserve it.”

“So…” she said in a low, trailing voice, suddenly very aware that he was only half clothed.

“Yeah?” he said, turning towards her and undoing the trousers. He let them hang open as he stared at her. Ulquiorra was never one for teasing, but he wanted to turn her on. “Something on your mind?”

She was incredibly uncomfortable, and squirmed a bit, one of her hands crossing her stomach as she swayed slightly to one side and back. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the view, it just felt like they were asking for trouble. She bit her lip and mumbled, “I don’t know.”

Ulquiorra nodded and turned his back to her, slipping his pants down and kicking them off. He was sure the black boxer briefs concealed him enough. He quickly grabbed a pair of track pants and a long sleeved shirt. He kept his back to her as he put them on. “Hungry?” he asked, turning around.

She wore all the markers of arousal. Flushed skin. Red lips. Glossy eyes with heavy lids. When she spoke, her voice was weak and breathy. “I’m starving,” she said, taking a step back to allow him access to the exit, waiting to be led back to the kitchen.

“C’mon and I’ll feed you. We’ll have to wait for the rolls to cook, but that won’t take long.” He led her out the other open doorway to the kitchen island before he went to where the slow cooker was. He lifted the lid and stirred the contents. Garlic, cheddar and the smell of other spices filled the air. Ulquiorra was damn proud of himself. Hopefully it tasted as good as it smelled. He busied himself getting the rolls out and putting four of them on a pan before preheating the oven. It didn’t take long. “Ten minutes.”

She leaned over the kitchen island as she watched him and when he turned around, she had been drawn into a fantasy of domesticity with him, and wore a dreamy expression. “What?”

“We have ten minutes to wait for the bread to get done.” He looked at her before he walked over to where she was. “You look like you’re on cloud nine at the moment,” he said, leaning against her. “Wanna share with me what you’re thinking?”

“Um…” What felt like a permanent blush on her face deepened and she drew a figure eight on the smooth stone surface of the countertop. “I was just thinking that this is really nice,” she said.

Ulquiorra nodded and then kissed her cheek. “Yeah, the countertops are nice.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she murmured almost inaudibly.

All Ulquiorra had to do was lean far enough forward so that his lips brushed her ear. His voice was low and deep and slightly growly, “I know what you meant. Anytime you want to play house, I’m game.”

Her breath left in a quickly, her skin tingling at his lips on her ear. “I’ll put it on my to-do list,” she said, shivering as she did.

He gave her a nod and then walked over to the fridge, “Do you want anything to drink? I’ve got milk, cranberry juice, water. Anything sound appealing?”

“Hm, water is good,” she didn’t think any of the other options would pair especially well with the soup.

He got her out a bottle of water and took it to the table. Then he dished out two bowls of soup. Ulquiorra got everything out that they would need before the timer beeped. He moved smoothly between the oven and the kitchen island putting a hot pad under the pan. “Go ahead and sit down. I’ll bring it over.”

“Okay, but I’m doing dishes,” she said, going over to the table and taking the same seat she had taken on his birthday nearly a year ago.

“I have a dishwasher,” he stated, throwing the bread onto a plate. As he approached, he looked at her. He cleared his throat as he sat down. “After this do you want to watch Batman or something else?”

“I’d love to watch Batman,” she said, smiling at him. “I bought it for you because I love that movie, and honestly, I haven’t watched it in a long time.”

He smiled back and began eating.

***

He sat on the big couch with his arms behind his head, eyes glued to the screen. Keaton had some moves as Batman, and taking on the Joker was no small feat. “Did you know that this film had themes from _The Killing Joke_?” he said to Orihime.

“What’s that?” she asked, looking up at him from her spot in the corner of the couch, her knee-sock-covered legs folded off to the side beside her on the couch cushion and her bare knees sticking out toward Ulquiorra. “I’ve never heard of it.

Ulquiorra glanced at her and then at her legs. “Want a blanket?” he asked before continuing. “ _The Killing Joke_ is a one-shot graphic novel. It’s the Joker’s origin story and how Barbara Gordon came to be the Oracle. Supposedly Batman kills the Joker at the end of it.” 

“I didn’t imagine you to be a graphic novel kind of guy. I had flirted with the idea of doing one of my own, but my storytelling doesn’t really lend itself to the format,” she said, then looked back at the television screen. “I wouldn’t say no to a blanket, honestly.”

“The Joker intrigues me. I also like Jason Todd. I like the entire Batman series.” He held out his right hand and showed her his knuckles. There was a black bat tattooed on his middle finger, along with several other small tattoos. “You’re an author and an illustrator. How does it not lend itself to the format?”

She leaned forward a bit to look more closely. “I noticed these before. They’re really well done. Is the bat for Batman? Are you really Bruce Wayne?” she asked, her tone somewhere between genuinely curious and mildly flirtatious.

He shook his head before he paused the movie and then walked over to the closet that was on one side of the fireplace. He opened it and got a nice soft blanket for Orihime. “No, but I do have money. Not a billionaire, but I’m comfortable.”

Orihime gave a small smile and nodded slightly. It wasn’t any of her business how much money he had. It wasn’t something she felt she had a right to talk to him about, either, at least not directly. “I had some friends who had comfortable parents when I was a kid. I had this one friend, Kirsten, who had horses, and I got to take riding lessons with her for awhile, until my mom ruined it,” she said looking up in a wistful way. “I miss the smell.”

“Hmmm,” he hummed as he brought the blanket back over to the couch. He handed it to her and sat back down, getting comfortable again. He didn’t look at her as he showed her what the left hand said.

Four letters spelled out one word.

She looked and smiled with half of her mouth as she read the word: LUST. “Oh, I noticed that one early on. It definitely added to the flights of fantasy when I was drawing you,” she said, her smile extending further across her face.

Ulquiorra’s mouth turned up at the corners. He still didn’t look at her as he put his hand on her knee. “Did it? I knew you thought of me.”

“How?”

“Just how you tried your hardest to fade into the background. It made you stand out more to me when you stared,” Ulquiorra shrugged.

Orihime shook her head. “You didn’t exactly enjoy my presence for a long time, though,” she replied. “I must have seemed like such a creep.”

“To be fair,” he said, finally peering at her, “I don’t really enjoy anyone’s presence. I liked the attention from you, but everyone else… No. When other women found out I had money, it was like, “let’s use Ulquiorra”. I don’t think you’re like that. You’re the second woman to know where I live. Rangiku is the only other one.”

“Really? It seems like a convenient location for you to…” she trailed off, her stomach sinking a bit at the memory of basic bitches flirting with him. “You know. Pumpkin spice lattes,” she said with a self-conscious chuckle.

His eyes flickered over to her and he frowned. Whenever she said that it made him think of the pumpkin spice incident. A heavy sigh left him. She was with Grimmjow when it happened. He wanted to take his frustration out on someone. “It seems that when you bring it up, that you don’t like that I had sex with other people. I barely knew you when it happened, but I wanted you. But seeing your face that day… I didn’t want to do it again.”

“Sorry. I know I had no right to be, but I was really, irrationally, jealous,” she admitted, smiling awkwardly. “I don’t know what to do when I feel that way. It feels like acid inside.”

“Kind of like what happened whenever I saw you all wrapped around Grimmjow? Yeah, I know how that feels.”

“Sorry,” she sighed. “I…” She shook her head. This was ancient history by now.

“I want to treat you better than Grimmjow treated you. That’s why we’re not in my bed. I want to get to know you. I want to show you what I am like and personally… I’m boring. I’m a workaholic,” Ulquiorra said, still studying her. “We can do this dinner and movie thing until the end of time. I enjoy it. I enjoy having you in my house and in my life.”

Her face was blank for about twenty seconds, just letting his words rattle around in her brain. Slowly she grinned, and then laughed, and then looked at him with a brilliant, unguarded smile. She stood up on her knees and walked on them over to Ulquiorra, plunking her ass down next to him and leaning into his shoulder. 

He picked up his phone from where it sat beside him and he brought up the alarm feature. It showed ten alarms set for various reasons. He hadn’t used them in a while, but they were still on his phone. “I’m not as neurotic as I used to be. In the last year, I’ve slacked off a bit.”

She sighed and looked up at him, not moving her head off of his shoulder. “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” she said, then grabbed the remote control from his hand and pressed play.

“Get the blanket, we can snuggle.”

***

Ulquiorra initiated the kissing when the movie was almost done. He placed a gentle kiss on the side of Orihime’s neck. He was curious to see how she would react to it; to him. “Sorry,” he murmured. “I couldn’t resist.”

She blushed, hard. “Um, sorry for what?” she asked, feeling a bit shy for some reason. She turned her face toward his and smiled. “I liked it.”

“You did?” he asked, peering at her with wide eyes. Ulquiorra had apologized because he should have asked before doing that. “Can I do it again?”

She nodded, her eyes drifting down to her lap as her smile widened and her cheeks glowed. “Mmhmm,” she answered.

Ulquiorra shifted closer to the redhead so that he could reach his hand out, running his fingers through her hair, before sweeping it out of the way. He then dipped his head down again. His mouth latched onto the spot he had kissed before, only for a few seconds before he kissed his way to Orihime’s jaw. “I thought about you a lot while I was gone,” he said as he pulled away from her.

“Oh yeah? What did you think about?” she asked, her voice dreamy and her eyes half-closed. What he had done had her insides squirming, but she took slow, steady breaths through her nose to try to calm down. She was semi successful.

“You. How you looked; who you were with… If you were doing okay,” he said. “You wrote a book about me.”

Her eyes rose and her smile gentled. “I did. I started writing it a long time ago,” she said softly, her eyes darting to his for a moment to see his reaction.

He gave her a tiny, tiny smile. “Why? I’m nothing special.”

“You’re wrong,” she said, shaking her head and snickering softly. She looked up at his face and melted a bit at his expression. “You fascinate me. You always have.”

“But why? You’ve fascinated me for a long time. Ever since you set foot into my coffee shop.”

“Have you ever seen yourself?” she asked, a finger coming up and trailing a line from his eyebrows to his chin, her eyes watching its path. “You are more than just eyebrows and teal ties, though.”

That got a slightly bigger smile out of him. “I knew my eyebrows were a problem,” Ulquiorra joked. “You probably know this, but you’re not your mother. You’re not chained to your past. You’re my Orihime. You’re funny and engaging. You’re clever and sweet.”

She nodded along when he said she wasn’t chained to her past but pouted when he called her _his_ Orihime. She took a deep breath for courage before leaning forward and getting up on her knees, just enough to swing one over and straddle his legs. She settled her butt on them and looked into his eyes at his level, then said, “I know I’m not Louise. It’s a process, though. Sometimes I go backwards.” She took another deep breath and released it before saying, “Your eyebrows are not a problem,” then leaned forward and touched her forehead to his. She didn’t know what to say. She wanted to just enjoy this for a moment.

His hands came up to settle on her hips. Ulquiorra felt they were toeing a line. He knew, one of these days, it was going to happen. It was just a matter of when _it_ was going to happen. If Orihime asked him to fuck her, make love to her or some variation of the question, he knew he didn’t have the willpower to say no. “What’s wrong?” 

She smiled and shook her head, feeling her eyebrows mess up his during the process. “Absolutely nothing. I… I…” she sat up and looked back at him, letting him see the besotten look on her face. “It seems like I can’t get close enough.” She then leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, pulling away to hover over his lips as he had done to her, then murmured, “I could do this all day.”

“Yeah? What about all night?” Ulquiorra slid his hands up her sides until they rested right under her breasts.

She pulled back and narrowed her eyes at him, one eyebrow arching dangerously high. “You an all night kind of guy?” she asked with her palms planted firmly on his shoulders, the tips of her fingers flexing into his flesh slightly. He was trying to shake her up, she thought. She could do it right back.

He bit his bottom lip for a moment before smirking. “I can be. I mean, I’m usually up at night. But I’ve never really wanted anyone around all night,” Ulquiorra stated.

“How about now?” she asked, tilting her chin to the side and returning his smirk. “Not tonight, but some night?”

Ulquiorra gave her a nod. “Dinner tomorrow night too? I can bring it by your place this time.”

She grinned at him. “It’s a deal.”


	23. Dinner at Home

Despite good intentions and bold declarations along the lines of, “Okay, it’s time for me to go!” Orihime eventually fell asleep on Ulquiorra’s couch.

Orihime woke up shortly after dawn, confused about where she was. Then she rolled over and smelled it. Cloves.

_Oh, that’s right_ , she thought as she stretched and sat up. She had crashed here, but she was sure she had fallen asleep in the living room. Had he carried her in here?

As quietly as she could, she snuck out of Ulquiorra’s bedroom and into the living space. She shouldn’t have been surprised that he was already gone. He ran a coffee shop. Of course he’d be working at seven in the morning. She was disappointed that she couldn’t see his face first thing, though.

Sheesh, what was with her? What was with her overwhelming attraction to him? She hadn’t had a lot of crushes in her lifetime, but she was quickly learning that when they happened, they were intense. And this one was the most intense by far.

This was more than just a crush, though.

She walked past the kitchen and saw the bird logo on a cup on the counter. Right. Time to get ready for work. Glad that she had the forethought to pack the bare minimum in her purse, she went to the bathroom. Her clothes from the night before were not of the wrinkly variety and suitable for work. She could get ready here, go to the coffee shop, and go straight to work, she thought, stepping into the bathroom and turning on the shower.

Ulquiorra walked into the door after telling Rangiku he’d be back. He already told her that he had a guest and needed to check on them. She just flashed her eyebrows at him and laughed. Ugh.

Then he heard it. The shower was running.

He had to swallow. The thought of what lay under her clothes… Ulquiorra shook his head. He was a gentleman. He slept on the couch the night before, letting Orihime have his bed. He was going to take his time with this. He knocked on the bathroom door. “Orihime, is that you?”

“No, it’s a robber!” she called through the door, laughing. “Yeah, sorry about using the bathroom. I’ll be done soon.”

He smiled at this statement. “Take your time. I actually came up to wake you. Do you want a coffee and a muffin? I also have donuts and bagels downstairs.”

She turned off the water and reached for the towel she had found and set out for herself, dabbing her face before answering him. “Yeah, I was planning on coming downstairs and getting breakfast at the shop before going to work. Did you need me to lock any doors or anything?” she asked as she worked the towel down her body.

“No,” he replied. “The door automatically locks when it’s closed. It’s a perk.”

“Nice,” she said. “Better make sure I have everything with me, then.”

He leaned against the wall beside the bathroom door and chuckled. “It’s not like you won’t be back, right?”

She was toweling off her hair when he made that statement. She nodded, not that he could see her. “That’s true, but it would suck if I had to pull you off of the morning shift to let me back in because I forgot my RBM employee lanyard or something like that.” She had put her clean underwear and pants on, then lowered the towel to cover her chest and opened the door a crack. “Don’t be scared of my unmade face, I promise I’ll only subject you to it for a minute,” she said, sticking her head out the door. “I wanted to see your face before you left, though.”

Ulquiorra glanced down at what he could see and swallowed again. He pressed his palm against the door and opened it wider. His gaze was on fire as he looked at Orihime. He took a step towards her and backed her into the bathroom counter. “Do not put yourself down,” he murmured, letting his hands slide up and down her bare arms. He was trying to resist kissing her, but he knew as soon as his finger touched her neck that was going to happen. This was dangerous, though. She only had that towel covering what would be only the first stepping stone to a physical relationship.

“Ulquiorra,” she said, her voice low and vibrating, at least for her. “You don’t think I look like a plain jane?”

“No,” he said. His green eyes watched as his index finger slid down the front of her throat and down her chest until he hit the towel. A soft growl went through him.

Her breath caught in her throat. Perhaps she had put too much faith in his powers of self control, or she underestimated his attraction to her, which was more likely. Still, she didn’t hate this. Truth be told, she wanted to know how far he was going to let this go. She kept one arm down to hold the towel in place; she wasn’t going to just let it fall on its own, but the other ghosted up the side of his arm. “This is an interesting development,” she whispered, unsure if it was going to amuse him or offend him.

Ulquiorra smirked. “If I didn’t care about you, I’d send you across the street looking ravaged. You know what I mean. You’d have two sets of swollen lips and a just fucked glint in your eyes.” His voice was deeper than its normal silky baritone. “It wouldn’t be proper, though.”

She shivered, despite the heat in the room, and her core throbbed. She exhaled involuntarily and looked directly into his eyes. Her voice sounded high, faint, and feminine when she replied, “Right. Improper.”

He was fast when he kissed her. Ulquiorra’s mouth met Orihime’s with hard pressure and his hand dropped to her waist, under the towel. When he pulled away he was panting. “We’re not ready for that. Almost, but not quite. Maybe in a few weeks.” Ulquiorra wasn’t aware that his hand was drifting higher until his fingertips brushed the underside of her breast.

A peep came out of her throat at the contact. “No, we’re not,” she whispered, her cheeks brightening and her eyes lowering to his mouth. “Besides, I don’t want to…” She couldn’t tell him this, it was too embarrassing. She grinned and looked down at his chest. “I’m silly.”

“You will tell me. You don’t want what?”

She brought her eyes back up to his and there was a deeper vulnerability there than usual. “I don’t want to get “just fucked”. I want it to be special.”

Exactly. She understood. He gave a nod. “How bold of _me_ to assume _I_ would let you leave afterwards,” Ulquiorra said, his thumb tracing the curve of her chest. She was so soft and warm. He took a step back. “I will see you in a moment, then.”

“I’m going to have to take another shower, cold this time, but yeah,” she mumbled.

Ulquiorra backed out of the bathroom and went to his bedroom, quickly adjusting the erection in his work pants. He was so hard he was aching. If he did decide to sleep with Orihime, she was right. It did have to be special. It had to be perfect. He let out a hissing breath and wondered if he should take a cold shower or quickly jerk off. “Ugh.”

“What?” Orihime said, standing in the living room fully dressed and grabbing her bag. “Everything alright? Also, do you have a spare hair tie? I didn’t bring a blow dryer or anything; I wasn’t exactly planning on a sleepover. I just brought the barest essentials.”

“I’m turned on,” he replied, standing with his back to her. He walked over to his nightstand and fished around in the drawer, pulling out a black hair tie. He didn’t need them anymore, but he had spares laying around. He walked out to the living room with it between his fingers.

“Heh,” she said, taking a look at him and glancing toward his groin briefly. “You’re not the only one.” She spied the hair tie and smiled. “Oh, you’re a lifesaver,” she said, her tone clearing up slightly from the dazy, lusty one it had been.

“Hnnngh.” He cleared his throat and then nodded. “I want to spend more time with you, Orihime.”

“I told you that I was free every night from now until the end of time,” she smiled at him and approached, holding her hair up for the tie, “All you have to do is ask. I’m not-so-subtly hovering around you all the time, anyway.”

An eyebrow rose and he looked down at her. “Good. As long as I’m not being annoying with my attention...” he trailed off.

“I only found you annoying before you noticed me.”

“That’s the thing, Orihime. I always notice the quiet ones; the wallflowers.” Ulquiorra closed the distance between them and grabbed her around the waist. His head dipped down and he kissed her again. Instead of just letting his tongue flick against her lips, Ulquiorra used the muscle to pry her mouth open.

Oh, this was a welcome move, she thought, parting her lips at his insistence and breathing into his mouth, letting his tongue inside and sealing her lips to his again. She had to fight not to squirm as the movement heated her blood. She let his hands support her, leaning into them a bit as she raised a knee, hooking her heel around the back of his calf. 

Of course, just as he was getting into this, his phone chimed. He broke the kiss and looked up at the ceiling and muttered obscenities under his breath. He dug his phone out of the back pocket of the pants and glared at the screen. “I am needed downstairs. Fucking Rangiku,” he scoffed. Ulquiorra gave her a lust-filled gaze before he kissed her again. It was tender and soft this time. “Are you ready?”

“No,” she said, smiling at him and then tucking her head under his chin a bit for a hug. She sighed, then said, “Okay, I _guess_ I can go now,” grumbling at the idea.

* * *

She sat around his place for a bit, trying to calm down before going down there. That was another thing they would need to talk about eventually. “Fucking Rangiku,” she echoed his words aloud without any ill intent.

It was probably nothing, right? They’d been working together for years, he’d said. Still… She had to be sure. She didn’t want another Grimmjow and Lucy situation on her hands. And as much as that had hurt her, if Ulquiorra did something like that to her… She shivered. She knew it would be so, so much worse.

She got up and went downstairs then. It was no use sitting there worrying about it. When she got to the shop from the back door, she nearly ran right into a pair of tits.

“Whoa! Excuse me,” the redhead said breathlessly, taking a quick step back.

“Oh, sorry!” Rangiku was leaving the shop office when she almost barreled Orihime down. She gave the woman a smile. A look of understanding came over Rangiku’s face. Of course that’s who it was. “Ohhh. Oh. Okay.”

“Okay?” Orihime looked up into the taller woman’s face, her own slightly guarded.

Rangiku gave a nod. “Okay. Ulq said he had a guest. He was pretty happy when he came in this morning. I’m glad it’s you, Orihime,” she said with a pleased expression.

“Uh, okay,” she replied with a small smile. She decided to withhold judgment on this situation for now. She walked around and got into line at the register, fixing her purse strap on her shoulder. When she got to the register, she had a big smile on her face. 

He saw her. He knew she was there. Rangiku had patted him on the back when she had walked past him. That was the only thing that seemed out of place. Why was his ex patting him on the back? Was it because of Orihime? Ulquiorra smiled at the redhead before he reached under the counter for a Coffee & Sadness gift card and swiped it before swiping his bank card. After the transaction went through, he handed her the card. “One Coffee & Sadness gift card,” he said to the redhead. “What can I get for you?”

Her wide smile was replaced by something much more curious. “Oh? What is this? And chef’s choice.”

“It’s called a perks card and my choice? Hmmm, We have fruit smoothies or S’mores latte?” Ulquiorra tapped a finger on his lip before he started putting an order in on the screen. He didn’t bother with having her pay for it. It was just a S’mores flavored coffee with a splash of skim milk. “How did you sleep?” he asked, writing her name on her cup.

“I must have slept great, because when I woke up I had no idea where I was or how I got there. How _did_ I get there?” she asked with a lopsided grin.

He grinned for a second. “I carried you into my room and I tucked you in,” Ulquiorra explained.

“Aww,” she cooed. “That’s sweet. So, for tonight, did you still want to cook and bring it over? Or should we order something?”

“Up to you. If you want to take a break from me, it’s okay. I know… I’m being greedy with your time,” he replied. Ulquiorra turned around and got her coffee for her before he pulled out a bagel with cream cheese for her. “Come down to the pickup area.”

She nodded, and her eyes caught Rangiku’s as she turned briefly. Shit, this was kind of awkward. She took a cleansing breath and went over to the pick up counter. “No, I think I’ll have you over tonight. You have to see my new place!” she said, acting excited to show it off.

New place? Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow. Of course, she wasn’t merely a college student. Orihime probably had a comfortable nest egg due to her book. He didn’t know. He had never asked her about it. Giving her a smile and leaning on the counter after he set her items down, Ulquiorra asked, “Is it bigger and nicer than your other apartment?” 

Orihime shrugged, falling into his smile a bit. “Not much, but a bit. It’s closer to here by a couple of blocks. Farther from Star--” she cut off her own words. She hadn’t talked about Starrk’s since the incident with Nnoitra, and she was hit with a wave of conflicting feelings. She missed the place, but she didn’t think she’d ever be able to go back. Not with her attacker working there. She shook it off and shook her head. “Oh well, I don’t need to be close to Starrk’s anymore, do I?” she said with a smile.

“I hope you don’t go in there anymore. Nnoitra’s still there. I occasionally see him.” Ulquiorra’s expression was one of concern. He hoped Orihime wouldn’t put herself in danger.

Her smile fell and she sucked her lips into her mouth for a minute, then nodded and looked up at him. “Yeah. I didn’t know. I hoped he’d be gone, but… It doesn’t matter. I don’t need to go there anymore.” She smiled again. “So, you said you were going to bring something over. Do I need to prepare anything?”

“I was going to order a pizza and have them deliver it to your place,” Ulquiorra said, giving her a slight smile. “Unless you want something home cooked… Is your kitchen usable this time?”

“Hmm,” she hummed, looking away and thinking for a moment. “Let’s save pizza for another day. I tell you what, I have a better kitchen now. Let me fix something for you. No promises on quality, but I do guarantee that it’s edible. Do you have any dietary restrictions I should be aware of?”

The man shook his head. “I won’t eat things like liver or anything too fancy. I’m open to trying out some new things.”

She grinned. This was going to be fun. “Okay. Can you be there by six-thirty? I’ll text you the address.”

Ulquiorra nodded this time. “I get off work at five so I can definitely be there by six-thirty. Do you want me to bring a bottle of wine or I can get a bottle of absinthe for you.”

She took a slow breath through her nose and raised her brows. “No more absinthe on work nights for me,” she said, blushing a bit. “But some wine would be great.”

Pulling out his phone, Ulquiorra made a note and then slid the device back into his pocket. “Good. Enjoy the coffee, Orihime. I hope you have a great day at work.”

“You too,” she said in almost a whisper, blushing more intensely. “See you later,” she said before turning and walking to the door. It had been months since she had stopped here during her work day for coffee but the ritual seemed ingrained into her mind when she stopped at the exit, turned, and nodded to him, that blush still painted on her cheeks.

As soon as Orihime left, Rangiku came over to where he was standing. Ulquiorra’s eyes slid over to her form. He steeled himself for whatever commentary she was about to deliver.

“Finally getting what you want?” the blonde woman asked.

He remained passive but inwardly flinched at her words. It figured that she was still sore about everything. Ulquiorra said nothing as he turned and went back to the register.

***

Orihime had her hands on her hips and her feet planted shoulder width apart, a light sheen of sweat on her brow, as she stared down her kitchen. She’d done it. She’d made a meal that didn’t come out of a freezer box with a black pre-portioned tray inside. She felt like she’d just run a marathon.

The dish she made was one she used to make with leftovers her aunt had made, except this time she had to make the noodles and white sauce herself. She added her special ingredients after that was all done and popped it in the oven. It was currently in there, bubbling away. It smelled awesome.

She turned around and began to put away the dishes she had messed in the process, then heard her phone buzz. He was going to be there in five minutes. She ran to the bathroom and tried to fix her face and hair. She wasn’t going to have time to make herself pretty. He was just going to have to deal with reality. “Oh well,” she said to her reflection, wincing a bit as she dabbed away the perspiration and sniffed at her pits. She smelled fine.

Ulquiorra had stopped by a bakery and picked up some macarons for dessert. Then he picked up two bottles of wine from the shop near his place. He had chosen a red and a white wine, because he didn’t know what Orihime was fixing. This was just their thing now; dinner and hanging out. He was nervous though. 

His emotions and feelings were growing for Orihime and he really didn’t know how to handle this. He had pushed them to the side when she had rejected him months ago. That hadn’t been her fault. He had been impatient and rushed into things without considering her side of things. As he walked, he thought back to a few days ago and their reunion. Ulquiorra had made some bold declarations. He had almost told Orihime that he loved her. It would have been way too soon for that. He knew that given a couple more months, it would be a reality.

A few moments later, he was standing in front of her building. Orihime had been right. Her new place was very close to Coffee & Sadness. He texted her that he was there.

This place was a lot more secure than her old one. She was able to buzz him in. Byakuya Kuchiki had insisted she take this place; he owned the building. He was renting it to her at a discount, saying that this was an RBM employee dorm. She knew there was no such thing. He was doing her a favor. 

Still, the place was small. It wasn’t like he was doing her a _huge_ favor.

“Come on up,” she said through the intercom. “Take the elevator to the fourth floor. I’m in unit C.”

Ulquiorra opened the door when it unlocked and he did as she said, taking the elevator to the designated floor. He found her apartment and knocked on the barrier, using two raps of his fist. He waited then, adjusting the bags in his hands.

She opened the door, having forgotten to take the apron she had been wearing off, and grinned at him. “Hi! Welcome to my new place!”

He gave her a smile in return before holding out the box and the paper bag with the wine in it. “I’ve brought you a housewarming gift… gifts rather.”

She took the items and turned around to set them on her little butcher block island in the center of her kitchen. “Look, Ulquiorra, a real live kitchen! With real, functional appliances! Oh, I’m sorry, please come in and make yourself comfortable,” she said, looking at him over her shoulder.

A grin came over his face as he walked into the apartment. It was a real kitchen. It had space in it. He took a deep breath and then exhaled. “What is that smell?” he asked.

“It’s a secret,” she said, smirking as she shrugged out of her apron and hung it up on a cabinet pull. “Want the tour while that is baking?”

“Absolutely,” Ulquiorra replied. “Um, shoes on or off? You know what my rule is in my place. I’m not sure if that applies...” He trailed off and felt his face get warm.

She smiled affectionately at his apparent embarrassment. “Whatever makes you comfortable. I’m comfortable,” she said, bending her left leg at the knee and showing off her bare foot. “Suit yourself. Make yourself at home,” she said, then peered into the bag he brought. “Ooooh, should I open one of these to let it get some air?” she asked, referring to the wine.

Ulquiorra toed off his shoes and left them by the door. “If you want. I didn’t know what you were making so I bought two kinds. So open whichever one you think will go with the food.”

“Hmm, well, there is beef in it, so I think red will pair better,” she said, turning to a drawer to get out a corkscrew. She opened the red and set it on the counter and put the white in the fridge, then turned to the box. “What about this? Should it go in the fridge?”

“It’s just some cookies I got for dessert. They can sit out for a bit,” he replied. Ulquiorra smiled at her again. “So, how was your day?”

“Pretty good. It’s nice getting back to something a bit more productive and less “filing and worrying”. The book was a great experience; I definitely want to write another one, but it was kind of nerve-wracking. My boss really helped,” she explained as she led the way to the small living room that was furnished with a loveseat, a small coffee table, a side chair, and her desks and art supplies behind it in what would normally be another space. It appeared that she had swapped the dining space for the living space and let her art take over the living room. “How was your day?”

“It was uh,” he started off but stopped to look around her place. It was Orihime’s style with her art all over the place. “This is a nice place. As for you writing another book, is it going to be about me again?” Ulquiorra asked.

She shrugged as she reached the center of the space and turned to look at him. “Depends. I don’t have a story in mind, yet. The Perfect Cup wrote itself. Thank you, for that,” she said, smiling and looking down shyly after she said it.

Ulquiorra’s face flushed a bit deeper. “Why did you write it?”

“Um, well, because it’s a true story. From start to finish, it’s what happened in real life, from my perspective. I put it in story format like that because Mr. Kuchiki asked me to. He wanted me to help a publishing company that he had invested in do a test book, and I guess he wanted to keep me occupied while I was recovering,” she admitted.

He gave a nod. “You really imagined me to be all those things? Do I need to satisfy your curiosity?”

She snorted a laugh and then covered her mouth. “Would you?”

Raising an eyebrow, Ulquiorra moved over to where Orihime was standing. He put his hands on her hips and stared at her. “It depends on what you want to know,” he stated.

She shivered involuntarily. “Eventually I want to know everything,” she murmured. “This is the living room.”

“More of an art room, right?” he asked, tipping her chin up and placing a kiss at the corner of her mouth. A content sigh left him a moment later.

Her eyes had drifted closed and slowly opened as he lifted his face away from hers. She stared at him with a happy, unfocused, dreamy expression for a minute, and then grinned. “Ahem. Yeah.” Her hands traveled up the outsides of his arms up to his shoulders and then back down to his elbows. She looked to the left and said, “The bathroom is over there. Bedroom is behind me. Want to take a peek?”

A small smirk played on his lips before Ulquiorra nodded. “I’m not going to say no,” he finally said.

She slipped out of his arms but grabbed one of his hands to lead him to the door at the end of the apartment. Her bedroom was small, and was mostly just a bed and a closet with some floating bookshelves affixed to the wall, but it was cozy. “Here it is.”

He looked around the space, noting the plants she had and the free spirited vibe Orihime had going on. It was very different from the minimalist decor he had going through his apartment. Feeling bold, Ulquiorra walked over to her bed and sat on it before looking at Orihime. “I think this place suits you more than the other one.” 

She leaned against the doorframe and smiled at him. “Yeah… It’s a bit surprising, too; Susan insisted on helping me arrange it. These plants are cuttings from her plants,” she admitted with a chuckle. “All those people at Rotten that I used to badmouth… They ended up being really great to me in the end. I owe them,” she said, blinking some emotion out of her eyes.

“Grimmjow was such an ass to you,” Ulquiorra said in a quiet way. 

She coughed a laugh. “Yeah. I’m really glad what’s-his-name quit. As soon as he left, everybody was super nice to me. For all I know he was badmouthing me to them the way he poisoned me against them. Mr. Kuchiki especially. He’s like my fairy godfather now.”

Ulquiorra was going to say more about Grimmjow but he didn’t. It wasn’t fair of him to remind Orihime of her failed relationship with his friend. Grimmjow had wasted Orihime’s time and affections. “Mr. Kuchiki is a good man. I’ve known him for years as a business associate, a mentor, and a somewhat friend. You’re in good hands with him.” After he said this, Ulquiorra stood up. “I’ve been a customer of Rotten for years. I asked him to put you on my project.”

“You did?” This surprised her. Grimmjow had taken credit for that. She blinked a few times and frowned. “I wonder what else he took credit for.”

Grimmjow had taken credit for a lot of stuff Ulquiorra had done. It figured. He looked away from her as his face got red. “Yeah, I wanted to spend time with you. It was the only thing I could think of that would work,” he admitted as his face became hotter.

She approached him and put a hand on his shoulder, half of her mind fuming at Grimmjow’s past actions, the other half melting at how cute Ulquiorra looked right now. “He told me, you know. He told me that the only reason he kept me around was to keep me away from you. I don’t know why anyone would do something like that… Why he would tell me the kinds of lies he told me and take credit for--” Her trail of thought halted as she made a connection to something Grimmjow said during their breakup fight. “He took credit for those flowers you sent me” she recalled, her eyes widening, and a small smile drawing her lips up slowly.

His face got redder. Ulquiorra reached up with a hand and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah... I stopped sending them after you rejected me,” he said before he cleared his throat.

Her chin fell to her chest. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

“You were justified with it, Orihime. You were with him. I was the one who was in the wrong that time.”

She shook her head. “I should have known. It wouldn’t have hurt me so much to end that kiss with you if I was really in love with him. I felt like I owed him my loyalty, though.”

“He wasn’t being loyal to you, though,” Ulquiorra murmured. He put his arms around her for a moment. “It’s in the past now.”

She smiled at that. “You are correct,” she replied, and the smile was in her voice. “I hope you like to be adventurous,” she said a moment later.

He smiled too. “Why?” Ulquiorra asked.

“Because what we’re eating tonight is not exactly traditional.” she said with a small chuckle.

“I wouldn’t expect anything traditional or normal from you, Miss Inoue. I like you that way.”

“I like you the way you are, too,” she said, craning her neck to kiss his cheek and then took a step back. “Kimchi beef gratin will be ready in about ten minutes. Do you want a glass of wine first?”

Ulquiorra gave her a smile then nodded. “I would like that.”


	24. Pizza Time

Ulquiorra had someone call in sick on Friday night and had to pull a double, so they decided to skip a day between seeing each other. Not that they really didn’t see each other; Orihime stopped by for coffee while she was at work.

On Saturday, he was still a bit tired, but wanted to see her, so they decided to hang out at his place and order a pizza.

It took Orihime about seven minutes to walk from her place to his. When she turned the corner toward Coffee & Sadness, she stopped. She watched him smoke his cigarette and studied him. He looked just like a figure from a movie or a graphic novel to her. Something sad. Something vulnerable. Something very beautiful and interesting.

When the smell of the clove cigarette hit her nose, she decided she had had enough waiting and watching. She stepped out of the shadows and said, “Hey, you,” in a sweet voice.

Ulquiorra turned his head and blew out the smoke and then smiled before he put the cigarette out and then threw it into the bin. The occupants of the other two apartments smoked, too, so Ulquiorra made sure there was a trash receptacle that didn’t need to be changed too often. “Hey,” he said. “I’m waiting for the pizza; you like sausage pepperoni?”

“I do,” she said, stepping up beside him and leaning against the building. “It’s a nice enough evening to wait outside. Mind if I wait with you?”

“Says the woman who walked over here,” Ulquiorra replied, giving her a side-eyed glance. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, holdi ng one up and giving it to her. “Go on up; I’ll be there in a minute.”

She took the key and held it in front of her face for a minute, the brown of her eyes drawing closer together to focus on it before they widened to look back up at Ulquiorra’s face. “Really, I don’t mind keeping you company,” she said, smiling.

Ulquiorra drew her into his arms, and looked down at her. “Really? I just gave you a blank check to go through my drawers and find my embarrassing underwear and you’re not taking it?”

She blushed, looking down to the side. “I totally didn’t think of that,” she teased, before chancing a look back up at him out of the sides of her eyes. “I wouldn’t take it even if I thought of it, though,” she admitted.

“Wow. I bet most women would have snatched that key out of my hand and run up those stairs,” he said. Just then a car pulled up to the curb with the name of the local pizza place emblazoned on the side of the vehicle. “Open the door and go in to wait for me. We can walk up together.”

She nodded and opened the door, waiting for him to join her so she could open the door for him, which he eventually did. Once he was inside and the smell of pizza hit her nose, she sighed. “Oh dear god is that calling my name.”

“Have you eaten a proper meal today? I hope you at least ate some of the soup I sent home with you from the other day,” Ulquiorra replied as they started climbing the stairs. “Every time you come over, I will feed you. Today might not be the most elegant or the most nutritious thing, but it’s food.”

“Are you trying to tame me like my angry bird?” she asked, chuckling. “I snarfed that soup for breakfast.”

He chuckled. No, he wasn’t trying to tame her. He was trying to show her that he was better than Grimmjow by a mile. “Why would I want to tame such a rare and magical creature?” Ulquiorra asked. 

Orihime shook her head. “I’m not magic.”

“You’re a forest fairy, red hair and a cute face,” he argued playfully. When they reached the third floor, Ulquiorra motioned for Orihime to open the door with his key.

She did, avoiding his gaze. The fairy comment was too cute. She might do something embarrassing like squeal. “After you, my fine sir,” she said softly, holding the door open for him.

He smirked and entered his apartment and then headed straight for the kitchen. The pizza was put on the island and Ulquiorra went around it to rummage in a cupboard on the other side. He smacked down two paper plates and a stack of napkins. “Want a beer or water?”

“Oh, oh, oh. A beer and pizza sounds like the best idea I’ve heard in a long time,” she said, not even worried about how unladylike it sounded.

Ulquiorra nodded and went to the fridge. “I’ve got ale from an indie brewer. It’s a friend of mine’s project and it’s pretty awesome, or I’ve got a nasty IPA,” he said looking back at her. “The IPA was Grimmjow’s idea. I’ve never drunk the stuff before.”

“I prefer awesome to nasty, not gonna lie,” she said, chuckling. “Or do you only have one good one? We could split it,” she offered.

“I have two of them. I’m going to have to call Starrk and have him give me some more.” Ulquiorra pulled both bottles from the fridge and popped the tops off. He took a drink and sighed. “Starrk dabbles in homebrew. He loves his bar, but has other hobbies. I told him he should open a real bar, and not just an absinthe one.”

Orihime smiled at that. “I like Starrk. He seems to have his head on. I really like Starrk’s. It makes me feel like I’ve gone back in time. Even with creepy Nnoitra there… You know, before--” she paused to glance at him and smile, just to let him know that she was okay talking about this in context-- “It added to the spooky ambiance. I kind of wish I could go back once in awhile, but it’s not worth it.” She took a sip of the beer he had given her and her brows shot up. “Wow, this is really good!”

Ulquiorra’s eyebrows furrowed but he smiled and plated the pizza for them. He sat beside her at the kitchen island. “I have no clue what he does, but his beer is… it’s an alcoholic symphony of taste and flavors in my mouth.”

“Listen to you, being all eloquent,” she teased, leaning over to nudge his shoulder with her own. “I would say it tastes like beer with a hint of Froot Loops and probably an alcohol content over six percent.” She laughed at herself and took another sip before saying, “Just kidding.”

“Do you want to watch a movie after we eat? Is there a television show you want to watch?” he asked, taking a bite of pizza.

“Movies, TV, whatever. I’m not too bothered either way. I could just sit while you do your thing and sketch, too. I just like hanging around you.”

“Well, I do need to go over inventory sheets and fire up my computer to do some work stuff. You’re more than welcome to make yourself at home,” Ulquiorra said. He took a sip of beer. “I like hanging around you, too.”

“Well, cheers to after-hours productivity,” she said, clinking her bottle to his and focusing on her pizza. Somehow she had managed to make things just  _ slightly _ awkward. “Oh! We could listen to some music, if you want.”

He thought about it for just a second. Ulquiorra wiped his hands off and got off the stool, walking over to the bookcase. He queued up some music on his phone before plugging it into the sound system. “It’s a random playlist of songs. If you don’t like something let me know. I can change it.”

She spun around in her stool to watch him after wiping her hands, taking another sip of beer. “I’m sure it will be good. I like what you play at the shop.”

The haunting sounds of the synthesizer came through the speakers as the familiar song started playing and then Robert Smith’s voice started crooning. “Not a bad song,” he said, coming back to the kitchen island. Ulquiorra picked up the beer bottle and took another drink.

“Nice,” she cheered quietly, drifting into the song a bit, lowering her eyes and mouthing along the lyrics to The Cure's  _ Lovesong _ .

Ulquiorra’s foot bobbed up and down to the beat which then turned into another eighties song. “Joy Division, huh?” he asked.

“Yeah. Too dark?” she replied, recognizing that both of these songs had come from the recommendations on her blog.

Ulquiorra shook his head. He finished his pizza and beer, listening to the song and then the next. He was beginning to notice a trend. This was the third song that mentioned love in the title. This playlist was one he used in Coffee & Sadness all of the time. All of these songs were from Orihime’s blog. “You have excellent music tastes,” he said as there was a small break between songs. 

“Well, it takes someone with good taste to notice another, so I tip my hat to you,” she said, watching him as she tended to do. “If you want to start working, feel free,” she said, putting her bottle to her lips and watching him while she took a long sip.

Ulquiorra gave her a small smile. “It won’t take me long. It’s just normal stuff I do every week,” he explained. The touch of his hand on her shoulder was brief as Ulquiorra stood and walked to where his desk sat next to tall windows. 

Orihime watched him move over there and waited until he had his computer fired up before quietly putting the rest of the pizza into the fridge and cleaning up the scant mess left in the kitchen. When she was done with that, the music had switched from eighties synth to modern synth, with a distinctly dancier, breathier, sexier sound. Orihime finished her beer and rinsed the bottle in the sink, her shoulders swaying side to side to the beat as she did, and by the time she had the bottle in the recycling bin and was making her way over to the couch, her whole body was into it, swaying and twisting slightly until she got to the large piece of furniture and sat down onto the plush surface. She closed her eyes and let the rhythm continue to move her head and shoulders, keeping her seat firmly planted. It wasn’t until that song segued into another more modern one that was more lyrical and lacked a strong beat that she stopped moving, took out a sketchbook, and started to draw.

He only glanced at her from time to time, catching himself from staring too long. Orihime was entrancing to him. She was like a forbidden fruit. She was something he couldn’t touch yet. They needed to get over the awkwardness and the newness of their relationship. He needed to get over the hurt he felt about her initial rejection of him.

“Shit,” Orihime hissed, as the tip of her pencil broke. She watched it roll down the front of her sketchpad and into her lap. She managed to pick it up without getting any of the graphite on Ulquiorra’s furniture, then stood up. “Excuse me, I need to wash my hands,” she said, holding up a finger smeared with the dark gray substance.

After washing and drying her hands she returned to her spot and started to sketch, but she wasn’t into what she was doing anymore. She turned so that she was facing Ulquiorra’s desk and just watched him work while she lounged. She liked how his brow twitched or his lips pursed. Just like before, he was a story waiting to be read.

“What are you looking at?” he asked as he moved the mouse to submit his orders for next week. After he was sure they went through, Ulquiorra turned and looked at her. 

“You,” she said, her chin resting on her knees.

He gave a slight chuckle and stood up, turning the monitor off. “I’m not that interesting, Miss Inoue. I’m boring. I’m predictable.”

She shook her head and smiled. “Predictable? Boring? Try dependable. Steadfast. Language choices do a lot to change the color of your existence. And personally, I think you’re pretty interesting,” she said, as the next song on the playlist turned on. It had been one that Orihime heard while browsing YouTube and put on her blog; a piano and male vocalist cover of Katy Perry’s  _ Teenage Dream _ . The lyrics had been modified to change the tone of the song drastically with only swapping a few words. “This is a perfect example. Listen,” she said, a challenging smirk on her face.

“Is this Teenage Dream?” Ulquiorra asked, looking concerned as he moved towards the couch. Well… Katy Perry was better than Taylor Swift or Nikki Minaj. 

Orihime shook her head. “Almost.  _ Listen _ . It’s different,” she said, grinning.

Okay, he listened. The male singing the song had switched it from teenagers being sex-crazed lunatics to an actual song about innocence and love. She had made a lot of playlists with love songs in them. Ulquiorra gave her a smile before he sat down on the couch. “It’s an okay song,” he said.

“So what are you saying, five, six out of ten?” she asked, raising her brows.

He gave a one-shouldered shrug and nodded. “Yeah pretty much,” Ulquiorra stated. “I heard it too much as a kid. Living with Nel… She was all about pop stars and celebrities. I heard that stupid Call Me Maybe song a lot.”

“Ew,” Orihime said with a laugh.

“Right? It was a hell of a time,” he said, before laughing. “I like most of the songs you post on your blog. They’re refreshing from the music found today.”

She shook her head. “Thanks, but today’s music isn’t all bad. There is just so much of it to wade through. And wading always seems like a word you’d use when you’re talking about unpleasant things, so…” she interrupted herself with a tiny yawn. “I guess the beer made me a bit too relaxed,” she said with a slightly embarrassed smile. 

“Do you want me to get you an Uber? Do you want to take my bed?” Ulquiorra asked, glancing over at her.

“Um,” she bit her lips and looked around. She really didn’t want to leave yet. “Do you think, maybe, we could watch something mind-numbing and just, um, be together a little longer?”

“Does  _ Keeping up with the Kardashians _ sound mind-numbing enough?” Ulquiorra asked and smiled. “For the record, I hate that show.”

“That actually sounds a little too off the dial. Maybe pull it back to a late-night talkshow or the weather news or something with a bit less nasal whining and Kanye West?”

He shook his head and used the remote and found some documentary about Madagascar. 

There were lemurs. They were cute. Not nearly as cute as the guy sitting next to her with the green eyes she kept falling into and the black hair she wanted to lose her fingers in. After he sat down on the cushion beside hers, she watched him watch the television for a moment. 

Yeah, she needed more of this. She scooted towards him and slipped her hand between his elbow and his body, then slid it down the inside of his forearm until their palms met and their fingers entwined, then rested her head on his shoulder. 

Ulquiorra glanced at her as he looked at the television. It was nice being touched like this. He liked her companionship. 

“Let me know if you want some space,” she murmured, settling in. She was just enjoying this closeness. She never did this with Grimmjow. Even after sex they would go their separate ways, despite sharing a bed. They’d almost always have space between them. She preferred it.

Not with Ulquiorra. She didn’t mind the space. She didn’t mind watching him work or whatever, but she much preferred this closeness with him. She let her eyes fall off of the television and study the way her hand looked in his. She liked his nailpolish. She liked how much bigger than hers his hand was without looking like a baseball mitt. His hands were elegant.

He looked at her and nodded. “Believe me, I will let you know if I feel crowded,” Ulquiorra said. “You seem really interested in my hands. Why?”

“Um, because they look nice. I like them on their own. I like ours together.”

They did look pleasing together. “I have always felt I had strange hands,” Ulquiorra said.

“What makes you think so?” she asked, tilting her head a bit so her voice would travel more easily to his ear without raising her volume.

“Long thin fingers. My cousin always said that they looked like spider legs.” He gave a contented sigh. 

“Spider legs?” she asked with an amused, disbelieving scoff. “I’ll be the judge of that. Do you ever wear shorts? Go swimming? I’ve seen you in like, two or three variations of the same outfit, ” she said, jumping to an adjacent subject.

Ulquiorra shook his head this time. “Nope. Not even when it’s sweltering outside. I burn easily, so I try not to go outside too much. Like ten minutes outside in the summer with sunblock and I still get bad sunburns. One time I actually had to go to the hospital for it because Grimmjow wanted to go to the beach.”

“Oh no,” she whispered. “That’s awful.”

It was a part of his life he had to deal with. It was just like breathing or sleeping. He had to stay out of the sun or make sure he was covered. “It’s kind of awful. I have this awesome balcony and a rooftop set up and I can’t really use them unless it’s at night,” Ulquiorra commented. He could feel his eyes getting heavier as he turned his attention back to the documentary.

Orihime put her other hand around his elbow and cuddled into his side. “Well, I like it at night; I can keep you company.” She yawned again and closed her eyes, just for a second.

“C’mon. You can take my bed for tonight,” he said, turning the television off and standing up. He pulled Orihime off the couch. “I’ll just grab my pillow and you can sleep in there.”

“I don’t want to push you out of your bed,  _ again _ . I don’t have any pajamas…” she protested weakly, following him anyway.

Ulquiorra led her to the bed and made her sit down. He gave her a pair of flannel pajamas that looked very dad-like and were not his style at all. They’d been a gift from Nel and he never wore them. “Go change and then go to sleep. You look exhausted.” 

She couldn’t argue. She was exhausted. The past few days had been a whirlwind of emotions and they were catching up to her. “Thank you, Ulquiorra. I owe you,” she said, holding the pajamas on her lap and smoothing them out a bit.

“No, you don’t,” he said before he dimmed the lights in the room and grabbed one of the pillows from the bed. Ulquiorra took a deep breath as he walked over to the couch and sat down. As much as he wanted to crawl in beside Orihime, he knew he wasn’t ready for this.

***

“Are you and your friend coming or not? I’ll grab someone off the street if I have to,” Lucy said, on the phone with her betrothed as she stood on the Courthouse steps. Her pregnancy was starting to show. They were both busy people and they didn’t get around to setting up an appointment with the Family Court Commissioner until nearly the end of October. She was cold.

“I’m driving over right now Lucy. Ulq is right behind me,” Grimmjow said. “I’ll be there soon to make you a proper wife.”

***

Ulquiorra and Orihime saw each other almost every day. They would spend time together and have meals at each other’s houses. He would text her, but other than that, he kept his space. He knew he was falling hard and falling fast. He wasn't ready for it, though. He wasn't ready to give her his heart. He wasn't sure if he could handle the rejection if she found someone else or decided that he was too much to deal with.

Then Grimmjow texted him. The blue-haired man needed his best friend.

He had to go down to Chicago in October to meet with Grimmjow. Apparently he had gotten this Lucy pregnant again and they wanted to be married as soon as possible. He told Orihime that he'd see her soon before he left. 

They were going to have lunch and then Grimmjow would take him to meet Lucy. 

"Hey, Ulq," Grimmjow said, wearing a suit and tie. 

The restaurant Grimmjow had picked was nice. It was better than a lot of the places they had frequented in Evanston. Ulquiorra looked around before he sat down. "Hello Grimmjow. Why couldn't you bring your bride here?"

"Because I've told Lucy all about you, and while she doesn't approve of your choices, she doesn't want Nnoitra anywhere around me. Besides, I heard what the asshole did to Orihime and I can't stand him. I'm gonna be a dad," Grimmjow said. 

"You've been a father."

"Tch, you know what I mean."

Ulquiorra nodded, then sighed. "What made you decide to impregnate someone?"

"I didn't decide it the first time. The condom broke," came the reply.

The dark-haired man nodded and the two sat in silence until someone took their order. "So..."

"So... what? What have you been doing? What have you been up to?" Grimmjow asked, shifting in his seat.

"Not much, really. Orihime is back in Evanston. We've been seeing each other since I got back into town." Ulquiorra watched the man. The way Grimmjow's jaw tensed and how his eye twitched did not go amiss. "We've had dinner several times and a couple of sleepovers."

"Hmph. Tch. It figures. I knew you two would end up in bed," Grimmjow muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "I fucking knew it."

"Is there a problem with this news?" Ulquiorra asked as he reached for the water glass and took a sip. His expression and face were calm.

Grimmjow's words said one thing. His body language said another. "Nah. I'm just... happy for her, I guess. She finally got what she wanted."

Ulquiorra nodded. "You got what you wanted from her."

"Look, it's not my problem she wanted to throw out--"

The waiter set down plates of food in front of the men, which Ulquiorra was grateful for. He did not want to listen to Grimmjow rant about his relationship with his... his... Orihime wasn't his girlfriend just yet. She was a prospect, though. All signs pointed to the fact that they both wanted to be together.

The two ate in silence with the occasional comment about the event that was coming up. Grimmjow showed him a picture of Brady and the green-eyed man couldn't help notice that the boy held Orihime's book in his chubby hands.

After the meal, Ulquiorra met Lucy, who looked him up and down then nodded as if he passed some test. 

Did Ulquiorra care if he met the woman's standards? 

Not really.

When it was all said and done, Ulquiorra left, having done his duty for his friend. Grimmjow now had a wife and a son.

While he waited in traffic, Ulquiorra thought about Orihime. He thought about her smile and how she'd look on his arm, her face lit up like Grimmjow's bride had been. Lucy had practically glowed with happiness.

What would it take to make Orihime that happy? Did he want to make her that happy? He shook his head. This was all his insecurities talking. 

Hmmm. Maybe he was ready for the emotional part of their relationship. Perhaps the part that was difficult to come to terms with was the physical part. He always said that he would never have sex with a woman that Grimmjow had fucked. 

He had fucked Rangiku. She had been with Grimmjow. Maybe that's why Ulquiorra never gave his coworker and closest friend a chance. 

Would that happen with Orihime? Would he get cold feet or a mysterious case of erectile dysfunction? He shook his head and narrowed his gaze at the car in front of him. It had a bumper sticker that said, "The Truth Will Set You Free..." 

No.

He wasn't lying to himself.

That wasn't it.

He never wanted Rangiku. She had been a body to keep him warm and relieve his needs. 

Ulquiorra wanted Orihime. He wanted her attention. He wanted her kisses. He wanted the soft touches and the smiles. He wanted her in every possible way. 

The thing that made this scary for him was, what if that wanting went away after they had sex? What if his curiosity would be satisfied?

That's why he wasn't ready. He wanted to get to know Orihime first.

This wasn’t a booty call or a one-night stan d. 


	25. A Conversation That Wasn't Needed

Grimmjow drove up to Evanston. He was on a mission for himself. He needed to talk to Orihime. It just so happened he also had an appointment at RBM that day. He parked in the lot beside the building and got out with his bag of documents. When he walked into the office, there were people talking.

Byakuya had sat down with Orihime, Susan, Karen, Julie, and Tim before the meeting with Grimmjow. The company Lucy and Grimmjow worked for was a potentially great client for RBM. They needed to employ some delicacy with this meeting. He was not especially pleased that Grimmjow had been selected as the ambassador for their company.

“Now, I know we all have our opinions about Mr. Jaegerjaquez, but we need to be professional, and that we shall do. He is a client now. He is to be afforded all the hospitality that Rotten Brand Management affords to clients. Orihime, if you are too uncomfortable with this, you may be excused.”

Orihime shook her head. Her months in therapy had gotten her to a place where she felt like she had worked through the hurt that Grimmjow had caused her. Although it wouldn’t please her to have to interact, she would be okay with it, she thought. “I can handle it, Mr. Kuchiki. I’m a big girl.”

Her boss took a deep breath and nodded. “Very well,” he said carefully and then continued talking about the strategy for hooking Constance Cosmetics.

***

Ulquiorra had been watching the business across the street. He knew Grimmjow walked into the building. He had to restrain himself from marching across the street. Orihime was an adult who could handle adult situations. 

  * I’m here if you need me, okay? I just saw Grimmjow walk in. Text me later.



That would have to do for now. 

***

Orihime got his text and smiled, texting back a heart before the smile dropped. It was just a simple greeting to Charlie, but Grimmjow’s voice brought back pain she hadn’t expected. 

She closed her eyes and took a slow breath before pumping herself up. She could do this. This was business. Grimmjow was a married family man now and what happened in the past was irrelevant. She took another deep breath before she swiveled her chair around and stood up to look at him.

Grimmjow noticed her. He was busy kind of ignoring Orihime, though. After all these boring introductions were made, his blue eyes finally zeroed in on her and Grimmjow walked over to the young woman. “Hey Orihime,” he said quietly.

She smiled politely and replied. “Hi, Grimmjow, it’s like old times having you back in the office, huh?” she joked lamely, unable to stop herself from crossing an arm over her stomach and scratching her other arm nervously. “Congratulations, by the way. I heard you and Lucy had a very nice little ceremony.”

He let out a huff. “Yeah? Thanks. Where did you hear that from? Your little boyfriend?” The words came out before he could reign in his irritation. “You and I need to have a chat.”

She furrowed her brows, but Byakuya’s words about hospitality echoed in her mind. “Okay. We can chat. I heard the news from your best man. He said Lucy was radiant,” she said, regaining her smile, although it didn’t reach her eyes. “Ulquiorra is my friend, of course he’d tell me.”

“Really? Because he said you two were seeing each other and fucking and all of that.”

She closed her eyes and exhaled, shaking her head. “We are seeing each other. We’re not doing anything else, not that it’s any of your business,” she retorted quietly. She didn’t want to escalate this.

Scoff. Tch. Huff. Any kind of annoyed sound he could make, Grimmjow made it. “It was my business when we were together. You just used me to get that damn iPad and anything else I could do for you, like this cushy job.”

Oh, no. This was crossing a line. Orihime couldn’t hold back a scoff of her own. “Would you like me to return it to you? I would be happy to offload my data and reset it while you’re meeting with Mr. Kuchiki,” she said, still with a trace of a smile on her lips. There was no way she was going to join that meeting now. As it was, Susan was staring at her from behind Grimmjow with her lips set in a firm line, shaking her head no.

It was Karen who came to the rescue, though. “Orihime? Charlie is in the middle of a rush copy job. I know it’s beneath your paygrade, but would you mind, for old time’s sake, getting everyone some coffee? The card is in Charlie’s drawer.”

Orihime’s head turned toward the older brunette and sighed in relief. “You got it. The usual for everyone?”

“Smores non-coffee latte for me, please,” Susan’s disembodied voice carried as she entered the conference room. “We are ready for you now, Grimmjow.”

A scowl came over his face as he gave Orihime a hard stare. “This isn’t over,” he muttered before turning and walking towards the conference room.

Orihime waited until the door was closed before grabbing the card and running across the street to get the coffee. Of course it was Rangiku running the counter today. Just what she fucking needed right now. She really wasn’t in the mood to make nice with Ulquiorra’s ex whatever she was. She didn’t have a choice, though.

When she got to the counter, she gave Rangiku the same tense smile she always gave the older woman. “I’ve come like old times to get coffee,” she announced, handing a list to her. “Oh, and whatever you think Grimmjow would like. He’s meeting with Kuchiki right now.”

Rangiku gave Orihime a bitchy look before she rifled under the counter for a list that contained RBM’s coffee orders. It wasn’t her fault. It was just that time of the month where she wanted to stab people and things. She especially wanted to smack the look off of Orihime’s face. “What do you know, it is just like old times, but you’re not with Grimmjow. So, nothing different today?”

Orihime flinched. “Well, yeah, it’s a lot different. Seems like it’s a full moon; everyone is in a mood,” she said guardedly.

“I guess. Ulquiorra left in a hurry, leaving me down here by myself. I wish I could just shirk responsibilities,” the blonde said as she tapped on the order screen. In a moment, she had the total for Orihime. “So did you get demoted or something? Coffee duty isn’t your thing.”

She raised a brow at Rangiku’s shirking comment. She used to run this place. It was pretty fucking rude of her to talk about Ulquiorra that way when she knew full well how late he worked at home every night. She said nothing to that, though. “I have not been demoted. I have been sent here because Grimmjow was being an asshole to me, and they wanted to de-escalate the situation.”

A fake smile flashed across Rangiku’s face. “He’s only an asshole to people who deserve it,” she stated before she turned to start making cups of coffee.

Orihime was stunned. Absolutely floored. She went over to the pick up counter and took her phone out.

  * At C&S, getting coffee bc drama at work. Also, Rangiku is being a total bitch to me today. I told her that GJ was being an asshole and she said he’s only an asshole to people who deserve it. What happened?



Ulquiorra was sitting at his desk upstairs when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He dug it out and looked at the screen. In the time it took for Grimmjow to walk into RBM, Rangiku managed to get under his skin, making a dig about Grimmjow going to visit Orihime. He was just insecure. He was the one with hangups. Giving a sigh, he answered her.

  * I don’t think Ran really likes the fact that you’re in my life. Are you okay about the work drama?



Orihime pursed her lips as she read the reply and tapped out another.

  * Yeah, they pulled me out of the meeting and probably off the account. Lucy is great but her husband is a dick. And Rangiku… Yeah she hates me. It is known.



Shaking his head, Ulquiorra stood up and started walking to the entrance door. He was going to have to sort this out. 

  * Be down in a minute.



Once he entered the coffee shop, he walked to the front of the shop and spied Orihime standing at the other end of the counter. He didn’t miss the glare Rangiku gave him. “Orihime,” he said, coming up behind her and putting his hands on her waist.

“Hey,” she said a bit breathlessly, an easy smile on her face. “This is a nice surprise.”

Slowly, Ulquiorra turned around so that she was facing him. He gave her a kiss, cupping her face with his hands. “It shouldn’t be a surprise. You know I want to see you and spend time with you.”

She blushed deeply. “I know, it’s just that you were not here and now you are. Thanks for coming down to see me. Oh, also, can I run up and get my iPad? Grimmjow wants it back or some nonsense.”

His face screwed up in irritation. What the hell? “No, I will take care of this,” Ulquiorra stated. He got his phone out and tapped on the screen. A few moments later it made a ding. “The iPad is yours.”

“What happened?” Orihime asked with a worried brow.

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied. “It’s yours now, flat out. Did he try to start a fight with you?”

Orihime took a slow, dragging breath and nodded once. “It seemed that way. He said he wants to talk to me after this meeting. I don’t know…” She paused. “We don’t have anything that needs to be talked about, at least nothing unrelated to business.”

Ulquiorra sighed and shook his head. “You know you don’t have to see or talk to him. Everyone at RBM will protect you. I would protect you. If you’d like, I can run the coffees over there.”

She sighed. “I don’t want to look like a coward. I told them all that I could be professional,” she seemed like she was on the fence, contemplating his offer.

His hands drifted to the base of her skull and he ran his fingers through her hair. “It’s up to you, Woman. I’m here if you need me,” Ulquiorra said. He then kissed her again slowly, letting the touch linger. 

Orihime hummed into his lips, and when the kiss was broken, she stood up on her toes and pecked at his lips four more times. “I know. Thank you. I feel like I can take on the world after that kiss, though,” she swooned, batting her lashes at him unconsciously.

He smirked at her. “You can do this,” he said. As Ulquiorra stepped away he saw Rangiku’s face. This was definitely going to be a problem for them. 

Orihime gathered the coffees and went back across the street, letting Charlie distribute them. She went back to her desk and got back to work, texting Ulquiorra,

\- Safe. Didn’t even see him.

Ulquiorra glared at Rangiku after Orihime left. He had gotten the redhead’s text message and then Rangiku told him what she had done. “What the hell did you do?”

“I made everyone’s order wrong.”

“What the fuck Rangiku?”

“Oops I screwed up.”

“Oh fuck off,” Ulquiorra said as he walked away from his former lover. He heard Rangiku huff as she followed behind him. “Those are our customers! You can’t screw up orders just because Orihime came in!”

“Is she your girlfriend?” Rangiku asked.

“I don’t know what she is,” he answered in a flat tone.

“So I could--”

“No!”

With that Ulquiorra slammed the office door and left the blonde woman on the other side of it. He sighed heavily as he sat in the office chair.

***

Try as she might, Orihime couldn’t help the knot that was forming in her stomach as time went on. After about an hour and a half, she could hear voices on the other side of the conference room door getting louder as they approached the exit, and then it opened.

“It was very good to see you again, Grimmjow,” Byakuya said in a very practiced, civilized voice.

“I’ll email you the notes from this meeting as soon as I have them formatted,” Susan said with a smile.

Grimmjow nodded and shook everyone’s hand. He told them that Lucy would be in touch with them. After that he turned around and looked for the redhead. When Grimmjow saw her, he approached her. “Walk with me out to my car.”

Orihime’s eyes glanced at Susan’s, whose face gave no clear indication about what she should do and shrugged. “Alright,” she finally answered, grabbing her jacket and standing up.

Grimmjow waited for her, and then once they were outside the office, he began to talk. “I heard what happened between you and Nnoitra. Are you okay from whatever happened?”

She was surprised that he started with that, it seemed almost caring. She looked up at his face and shook her head. “I still won’t go back to Starrk’s. I’ve healed, though. Mr. Kuchiki introduced me to a good therapist who got me through most of it. Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering. Ulquiorra texted me about it a while ago. Look,” Grimmjow said, but then paused. “I knew about you and Ulquiorra. I knew what happened on Halloween night last year. I knew what happened between you two the night he went to your place. I’m not saying you went out and fooled around with him. I know he wanted you then. I know he wanted something with you. I only saw it as fair that I let you go. We both needed a chance to be happy. You might have been happy with me, but deep down you probably weren’t.”

Her brows knit in confusion. What the hell was he talking about and why was he bringing it up now? “Well, if you knew, then you know that nothing happened between me and Ulquiorra,” she said, shaking her head as the look of confusion deepened. “Anyway, it’s water under the bridge now, isn’t it?”

Grimmjow sighed. “You had a thing for him. All those drawings. I remember seeing that one of his head and shoulders and chest. You knew he had a tattoo on his chest. You two have a thing now.”

“We’re seeing each other now, yes. I did see him with his shirt off that time you sent me over there for the first logo meeting, remember? I told you he took me up to his place. He changed his clothes before we started the meeting and he just walked through his place with his shirt off for a minute, so that’s how I knew. Don’t you remember how weirded out I was after that meeting?”

The man was silent for a moment. He was thinking back to that time. Finally Grimmjow nodded. “I remember but, you also looked bothered. There were several times I saw you after you saw him and there was just--something was bothering you. I’m sorry about all of this. In the beginning I just wanted someone to fuck, hang out with, and occasionally take out. I didn’t mean for it to turn into what it did.” 

There was something about this encounter that wasn’t adding up to Orihime. She took a quick breath and asked, “And what did it turn into for you? When you threw me out you said you had been lying to me about everything just to stick it to Ulquiorra.”

“I told Lucy the same thing months ago when I saw her at the conference. That’s exactly what I was doing.” Grimmjow sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I knew I didn’t want to be with you when I saw her there. I was making plans to be with her when I started seeing Brady on a regular basis.”

She scoffed silently and rolled her eyes. “You should have broken up with me then. You shouldn’t have asked me to move in with you.”

Another sigh. “I know. I know this. I was stupid, but you jumped the gun on everything with the love bullshit. I thought it would make us better. I thought if you weren’t around Ulq or your mom, it would make our relationship like it was in the beginning,” Grimmjow said quietly.

Orihime frowned. “And how was-- Wait. What? You wanted it to be, like, just hang out and fuck until you were ready to finally play house with Lucy? What the hell? And I didn’t “jump the gun” with the I love you stuff. I meant it.” She was clearly offended now.

Grimmjow nodded. “That’s basically what I was doing. You did jump the gun. We were together for like a couple months when you said it.”

“I said it because I meant it. Jesus Christ, I dodged a bullet with you,” she said in a huff and then turned around. She wasn’t going to stand here anymore and listen to his bullshit.

“I dodged a bullet with you too; crazy ass, druggie mom and your fucking fascination with my friend,” Grimmjow called out. “By the way, Lucy’s pregnant again.”

She stopped and wasn’t going to turn around, but did anyway. “I know. Congratulations. My crazy ass druggie mom is dead, by the way.”

“Good.” Grimmjow turned his back to Orihime and then got into his car. He knew it had been a mistake to talk to her or even offer to come to this meeting. He sat there for a moment before he started the vehicle.

Orihime was a ball of dissonant energy. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to tear something up. How _dare_ Grimmjow, after all these months, come back into her life just to try to flip over the careful progress she had made since she left town last spring?

It wasn’t fair. 

She sent a text to Susan that she was clocking out for the day. She had a class later that afternoon anyway. She left her purse in her desk drawer. She didn’t care. She was too upset to even think about it as she stormed away. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. She knew where to go. Orihime stomped out of the Rotten parking lot and past Coffee & Sadness. She’d go freeze her ass off at the Marina for awhile. It was a cold day. Maybe the chill would cool her head off.

Ulquiorra had come out of the office and helped around the storefront when he saw Orihime walk by the shop. His brow rose as he watched her. She looked pissed off, so he decided to send her a text.

  * Are you okay? You look unhappy. Is there anything I can help with?



Orihime felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She was pretty sure it was a message from Grimmjow, trying to rub it in again. She didn’t want to look, so she didn’t.

Not until she got to the lakeshore, anyway. Then she took out her phone and saw Ulquiorra’s message of concern.

Hot, writhing fury made her stomach clench. Ulquiorra was such a good guy. How fucking dare Grimmjow string her along just to hurt him and her? She started crying before she even got her response typed out.

  * I’m not okay. Grimmjow’s an asshole.



This made him frown as he read the message. Grimmjow was an asshole. Orihime was correct in that statement. 

  * Why are you not okay and why is he an asshole today?



Orihime sniffed and tapped out her reply.

  * He came here just to rub it in my face that the only reason he was in a relationship with me was to keep me away from you and to use me for sex or whatever. Then he said “good” when I told him my mom died. I mean, yeah, but you don’t say that!



Ulquiorra’s next message came several minutes later. 

  * Where are you? I have something for you. It’s just a coffee and a treat. I want to talk to you. I think you could use the company.



Maybe he was right.

  * I’m at the marina. 



Ulquiorra told Ethan he was taking off. He poured a cup of coffee and added a splash of skim milk to it before he left. Damn Grimmjow for upsetting her. Damn him for even being in her life. 

When he pulled into the marina’s parking lot, he got out, grabbing the coffee. He didn’t have another treat for her. He just wanted to see her. It took him a moment to spot her red hair. With calm, measured steps, Ulquiorra approached her. 

“Miss Inoue?” he said, shivering slightly. It was chilly out here.

She turned around to look, not expecting to see him there so soon, and raised her brows. She had to wipe her eyes to clear her vision, which was blurred from a mix of crying and the cold wind off the lake. When she finally saw his face, hers crumpled again. He looked concerned for her. “I’m sorry, you didn’t have to come out here for me, Ulquiorra--”

She had to take a couple of deep breaths before she could continue. She felt a bit guilty for her next words; she was about to unload some buried hurt. “He only wanted me as a plaything. Now he wants to rub it in my face that he never cared about me and that I was only there for a good time,” she whispered harshly before a sob tore through her. He had to open up old wounds. “He said he moved me out to Chicago so he could have someone to fuck until he could get Lucy to agree to be with him. It’s all I am good for, apparently,” she said, then wept bitterly.

Ulquiorra shook his head. “No you’re not. You’re a wonderful and amazing woman. You make me want to scream love poems from my balcony. You make me want to smile every day. You--” He reached down and tilted her head up. “You are my blind taste test, Woman. Everytime I kiss you, I close my eyes and I just wait for the moment I can do that again.”

“Ulquiorra,” she whimpered, looking at him with a pathetic expression. “Ulquiorra,” she repeated. She didn’t know what she wanted to say to him, but she couldn’t look away.

“Shhhh,” he murmured and held her close to him. “Clearly Grimmjow is an insensitive asshole. You are so much more than a plaything. You’re not a crazy bitch. You’re a strong, confident woman. He’s trash.” Ulquiorra pressed his lips to hers for a brief moment. “I want to give you so much more than what he did.”

She looked up at him through her tears and put her arms around his torso and squeezed, sighing and taking the comfort he offered. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“Come, let’s sit in the car. We can talk. You can tell me about anything,” Ulquiorra said to Orihime. “I’ll drive you to your school when it’s time for your classes.”

She lifted her face to smile at him. “Thank you,” she said again, sniffing and then taking a step back. “I’m sorry to make you leave work or whatever you were doing.”

“It’s fine. Ethan’s managing the shop,” he replied. Ulquiorra grabbed her hand and brought it up to his mouth, placing a small kiss on it.

She watched him and was reminded that she was totally smitten. She cursed Grimmjow for keeping them apart for so long. She wished she had met Ulquiorra first. She wished she’d never met Grimmjow at all. “Well, that’s good. He will probably make sure the orders are right,” she said, then winced. She shouldn’t bring up Rangiku. She was a topic Orihime always strove to avoid. “Sorry, I heard Karen complain.”

He sighed and shook his head. “Rangiku is jealous of you. I know she’s jealous. I never wanted Rangiku. She had been a body to keep me warm and relieve my needs when I wanted it. She wasn’t you. She was never you. She’s pumpkin spice.” 

Orihime took a slow breath and looked up at him. “It must be really, really awkward working with her.” She looked down at her feet, feeling a bit guilty. “I don’t know why she stays, to be honest. If it were me… There are lots of other coffee shops to work at.”

“She stays because I pay a lot more than other coffee shops. She stays because she’s my friend. If she leaves, I have to work a lot more,” Ulquiorra said then stopped walking. He pulled her to him. This time instead of a simple kiss, he wrapped his arms around her waist and captured her lips with his. He pulled back enough to do that little tongue flick before his mouth attached to hers again. “You’re all that matters to me, Orihime. It’s not awkward for me to work with her because I don’t think about it.”’

Well, Orihime was not convinced about Rangiku one little bit, but that kiss made it feel like the events of earlier in the day never happened. When he stopped kissing her, she looked at his face, She paused, looking down at his chest. It was true. Even before she got together with Grimmjow, she had been interested in him. She’d always watched Ulquiorra. It had intensified after she took on the logo project, but then the Grimmjow thing happened and she got swept up in the blue-haired man’s pretty words and hollow declarations. Her sense of loyalty to Grimmjow and feelings of love for him were based on his misrepresentation of himself.

Ulquiorra seemed genuine to her, despite her mistrust of his ex working with him. She felt lucky that he still looked at her at all after misplacing her affection on someone else. She hugged him tightly and shivered. “I’m crazy. It’s cold out here,” she murmured into his chest.

“Which is why I suggested getting into the car. It’s warm in there still.” Ulquiorra hugged her before they headed to the car. He unlocked it and slid into the driver's seat and started the car just as Orihime got inside. “Your cheeks are red.”

She snuffled a laugh. “I believe it,” she turned her eyes to him and smiled. 


	26. The Other Side of Casual

Ulquiorra had dropped her off at her classes after driving around town for a bit and going through a drive-thru for some fries. They chatted and laughed, and by the time her classes started her eyes were dry and she was in a good mood.

Halloween came and went. She didn’t feel like dressing up that year. She went to Ulquiorra’s place and watched some scary movies and ate popcorn. She spent her time apart from him at work or studying and working on her final projects. She was ahead of schedule and feeling confident. It helped that she had already studied all this material last semester.

The second week in November, Byakuya called her into his office. “How do you feel about a book tour?”

“A what?”

“A book tour. It’s where you travel around to bookstores and read The Perfect Cup and sign copies of your book. Sounds fun, right?”

Orihime’s eyebrows shot up. “Um, I guess? How long would it be?”

“Well, it’s not like you’re the Rolling Stones. We’d set some dates for you around Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and maybe one in New York and one in California. You’d be gone as day trips for the ones around here and maybe a weekend on the coasts at most. We can work it around your school schedule.”

“Okay,” Orihime said. She wasn’t so sure about the timing of this, but she'd look into it, at least. “I’ll do it on the condition that I have final say about the dates,” she said.

“Of course,” her boss replied.

She went back to her desk and fidgeted for awhile. She didn’t know why this made her so nervous. She looked across the street and saw her angry bird. It reminded her of her blog post from last spring, when she drew two happy sparrows.

She knew what was making her nervous.

She stood up. “Anybody want coffee? I’m going across the street,” she announced. She didn’t really wait for anyone to answer before she left.

When she entered the coffee shop, her eyes scanned the place for Ulquiorra, but didn’t find him. Damn. She really wanted to talk to him about this book tour thing. She waited in line, eyes scanning the place until it was her turn.

Just her luck. Her _favorite_ person was on the register. 

“Hi Rangiku. I’ll have a medium black coffee. Is Ulquiorra around?”

Rangiku looked at the redhead and then walked over to the workroom door. She stuck her head in and said something before she walked back over to the register. “He’ll be out soon, unless you want to go back and talk to him?”

“Yeah, I’ll pick up my coffee on the way out, thanks,” she said and walked behind the counter without waiting around.

She knocked on the workroom door before opening it. “Hey,” she said before she even saw him.

Ulquiorra looked up from the clipboard he had in his hands. His eyes went wide as he saw Orihime. “Hey,” he said, freeing his hands by putting the clipboard on the counter. “What brings you over and back here?"

Her lips screwed up into an uncomfortable and self-conscious kind of twist. “I don’t know. I’m feeling nervous and I needed to see you. Mr. Kuchiki wants me to go on a little book tour, and the idea should make me happy, but…” She sighed. “It is kind of scaring me right now.”

The man walked over to Orihime and drew her close to him. “Why does it scare you? You should be out there celebrating your book. Kids and moms love it.”

She smiled a bit and said, “It’s not the book I’m worried about. It’s leaving.”

Oh. She was scared… Oh. OH! Ulquiorra gave a sigh. “You’re scared about leaving me? How long of a tour is it? A couple of months? Six months?”.

She shook her head. “It’s a couple of weekends and some day trips. And yeah… I mean, the last time I left…” She was not going to finish that sentence. She shouldn’t even have started it. Despite the big, pretty words thrown around at their reunion in September, Ulquiorra had made no moves toward making their relationship official or more than just casual dating. And "dating" was a bit of a stretch. They hung out. They didn't go on dates. Her confidence in him was starting to crumble.

He took a step back and looked down at her. His brow furrowed. He did not like the insinuation she was making. “So it’s a couple of weekends and day trips. I’m not going to fuck Rangiku while you’re gone. Is that what you’re worried about?”

She looked down and shrugged. “Nothing’s stopping you.”

“Yes there is.” He tilted her head up so that he could peer into her eyes. “My heart isn’t with her. It’s with you. I have no interest in allowing myself to become that close to Rangiku ever again.”

“She does.” Orihime stared back into his eyes. She didn’t want him to misunderstand her. “You spend a lot more time with her than you do with me. She used to work the evening shift with Izuru. She used to never be around when I came in with coffee orders. Now I’m back, and she’s playing goalie every time I come in here. This used to be my favorite place. I feel like it’s her territory now and I’m not welcome.”

Ulquiorra scoffed. “If I fire her, are you willing to take her place? She’s done a lot for me. She ran this place while I was in prison. Rangiku ran this place while I took a vacation.”

“And you’re telling me that Izuru or Ethan couldn’t? Admit it, Ulquiorra. You don’t want anybody else taking her place. It’s not about the job. There’s plenty of qualified people.” She sighed and backed away. “That’s not even the point. If she’s just an employee, talk to her and tell her to knock it off. If it’s something else… Let me know when you figure it out.”

“Should I tell you good luck on your book tour then?”

“Are you telling me it’s something else?”

Ulquiorra shook his head. “No. There’s nothing between Rangiku and I. We’re friends and coworkers. You’re reading too much into things. She’s just hurt by my rejection,” he stated.

“And you don’t think that she would just jump right back into your bed if you said the word? Friends don’t do that, Ulquiorra. You’re in denial if you think otherwise.” She took a deep breath and sighed, feeling defeated. “I’m telling you this as someone who cares about you. You don’t have enough separation from her for her to get over it.”

“I’m not in control of Rangiku. She’s more than welcome to quit. I would never invite her, as you put it, back into my bed. I’m not like that. She knows she has no chance with me,” he said, walking back to where he laid his clipboard down. “I cannot control what you think either.”

“No, you can’t. But your actions have a big influence on it. Are we just riding a merry-go-round indefinitely? You say I have your heart… But I’ve been back here for over two months now and nothing has changed. I don’t know what to think.”

His brows rose sharply and Ulquiorra tilted his head slightly and looked at Orihime. “I’m sorry that I want to take things slow. Do you just want me to fuck you now? There are some things I have to get over, too. I feel at any time you’re going to reject me again. I’m trying to put that behind me.”

His words hurt. A lot. Her lower lip came out and her eyes watered. “I didn’t know you felt that way. I’m sorry,” she said softly.

He cleared his throat. “I do not care if Rangiku has an interest in me. I used her. I want to take things slow with you. I want to get to know you more. If you want to rush into things, then I cannot guarantee that they’ll last.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to rush… I just… You know when Grimmjow was here and we argued? He asked if you and I were together. I couldn’t say yes. I almost said we were just friends. I don’t want to be just friends. I didn’t like it when I said we were “casually seeing each other”. There is nothing casual about this to me. I’m waiting for you on the other side of casual.”

His mouth twisted to the side as he stood there, thoughts swirling in his head. On one hand, he wanted to make her happy. On the other hand, he had his own doubts about relationships. “I thought about you and I on my way back from Chicago. I realized what I felt about Rangiku and what I did to her. I realized I just want to make you happy. I want to be with you. I don’t see the need to label what we have or justify our relationship to anyone else. We’re seeing each other. We’re enjoying each other’s company. I’m not seeing anyone else. I don’t even pay attention to anyone else.”

Orihime was not satisfied. She stood there and her jaw moved to the side a bit as she contemplated his answer. Clearly he had made up his mind and wasn’t going to budge. Finally, she wiped her wet cheeks and nodded. “Okay, then. I’m going to get back to work.” 

Something occurred to her then. Something that never seemed like a possibility before in her life. She had always been a speck on the wall; an insignificant person who went with the flow. Maybe it was time for her to try to command the flow, instead. “Do you want to go out on a date? With me? Tonight?” she blurted out.

Ulquiorra’s head came up and he stared at her for a moment. He was shocked that she asked him on a date. He was such a dumbass. They had been hanging out since they saw each other in September. He hadn’t really taken her out on a date. They always chilled at each other’s apartments. “I would love to go on a date with you, Orihime,” Ulquiorra said with a small smile.

He repeated the actions of setting the clipboard down and walking over to the redhead. His pale hands came to her hips and he pulled Orihime closer before he kissed her. It was slow. It was lingering. It was filled with wanting. When he pulled away, his breaths were short. “Text me later with the details?”

***

She had no idea what she was doing. She had been on a few dates with Grimmjow, but they were just… functional. He never really tried to woo her or anything. They went out to eat and then came back home to one another’s place. She didn’t want this to be a lackluster affair like that.

So, she hit up the internet. There was a place that did group painting lessons that was BYOB. Pass. There was a place where you did romantic yoga. Hard pass. Then she saw something a little more her speed. An arcade bar. That sounded fun and low pressure. She texted him the following:

  * Meet me at 7:30 at the gyro truck on Church Street by Whole Foods? Think casual.



Ulquiorra got out of the shower when he got her text. He looked at the message and then tapped out his reply that he would be there. After that was done, he looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was growing out again. His face looked tense.

It was true. He was tense, but it was from the news of this date.

Ulquiorra was usually the one who asked women out to places, making sure they had a good time. This was a first for him.

As he styled his hair, Ulquiorra thought about things. Orihime was asking him to fire one of his friends. Yes, he had had sex with Rangiku on multiple occasions, but he had made it clear that that was all it was. There were no feelings on his end for the other woman. A little voice in his head piped up and told him Orihime was going to leave him too, just like everyone else.

Closing his eyes, the dark-haired man gave a long sigh. 

That was just his insecurities rearing its ugly head. Orihime wanted him. She wanted to be in a relationship with him and not just casually dating. He still had the hang ups though.

He finished getting ready and got dressed before walking out on his balcony to have a cigarette to try and calm his nerves. He had to talk to Rangiku.

*** 

She got there early and found a lightpost to lean against, smelling the savory mutton from the truck and watching and listening to people as they walked by. She was still nervous. She didn’t know what to think about Ulquiorra’s position. Practicality was one thing, deep denial was another. She thought he was in denial about Rangiku.

But he only saw what she wanted him to see. Maybe she acted cool around him. She wasn’t cool around Orihime, though, and it was only getting worse. She hadn’t been exaggerating when she said she didn’t feel welcome at Coffee & Sadness anymore. The coffee tasted like animosity. 

Orihime had experienced enough shitty people in her life. She didn’t want to add another one to the pile. She sighed. Maybe, like Starrk’s, C&S would have to just become a memory for her. It made her sad. She wore a sad expression when Ulquiorra spotted her.

He had used the bus and then walked to the food truck she had mentioned in her text. He had his hands buried in the pocket of his jeans as he got closer to her. Ulquiorra’s hands had been shaking since he left his apartment after talking to Rangiku. Seeing Orihime’s face just made the slight tremors worse. Was this a breakup? Was she telling him--No. It was just his overactive imagination. “Why the sad face?” he asked once he stood in front of her.

She blinked twice and startled as she looked up at him. “Wow! You are stealthy!” she said in a louder than intended voice. “Sorry, I was just thinking about bad coffee.”

“You’ve been drinking bad coffee?” he asked. “I have been known to be extremely quiet when sneaking up on people. Are you going to break up with me tonight? I have to know.”

Her brows furrowed. “One, no. Two, how can I break up with you when we’re not even-- you know. We’re not a _couple_.”

Ulquiorra sighed. “I consider us a couple. We’re an item. We’re together,” he replied. “You could just tell me you don’t want to do this anymore.” He bit his lip after the words came out of his mouth.

She sighed and grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the line at the gyro truck. “I want to _start_ this. That you consider us a couple is news to me, to be honest,” she said as they arrived at the back of the line. “It makes me feel a lot better.”

“Orihime, this might come as a surprise to you, but I don’t spend as much time as I do with you to just consider us friends. I never spend a lot of time around people except at work,” Ulquiorra said. He intertwined their fingers and used his thumb to rub the side of her hand. “It’s just not my style.”

“You are very mysterious, Mr. Cifer,” she said, leaning into the side of his arm a bit. “You always have been. The Perfect Cup wasn’t a story I made up. It’s the truth. Except, these days, I don’t get to drink your coffee much anymore and it makes me sad. When do you work in the front anymore?”

Ulquiorra studied the small woman for a moment, then looked at the line in front of them. “I had a talk with Rangiku before I came here. She’s going back to the afternoon and evening shift. Ethan and I will be working the morning and afternoon shift. I understand that you’re jealous of Rangiku, but you have to know I’ve never pursued a woman as I have chased after you.”

Orihime felt embarrassed to be called out like that, but overall it was good news. “Well, um, I can’t say I’m not happy to hear that. I’m pretty sure she put salt in my coffee today. If I can avoid her shift, I have a good chance at having decent coffee again, right?” she said, smiling at him. Her eyes were still sheepish.

“I only will have to tolerate Rangiku for three hours a day; four days a week,” Ulquiorra said. He smiled at her and then tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “You can always call me if you need good coffee.”

Her expression melted into a lovestruck one at his touch. “Uh huh…” she said, a bit unintelligently. 

She didn’t realize they were at the front of the line until the guy in the truck stuck his hand out to wave at her. “Hey, you guys ready to order?!”

“Oh! Yeah, I’ll have the special. What do you want?” she asked Ulquiorra.

“Make that two specials.” He looked at Orihime and then handed the guy in the truck some money to cover their meal. Ulquiorra smiled at the woman beside him. “Call this my apology for not taking you out sooner?”

She gave him an insincere frown. “I was supposed to be taking _you_ out. Oh well. I’ll buy your drinks at least.”

He gave her a grin. “I’ll accept this deal.”

That grin was like seven punches to the face. His perfect teeth and dimples and the slight squint at the corners of his eyes… She had to take a slow, deep breath. He smiled at her often, but this kind of open, boyish grin was a rare treat. She pursed her lips for a moment and her cheeks brightened before she murmured, “Not the panty-dropper, it’s not fair!” then brought a hand up over her mouth to cover nervous giggles.

His grin remained but he squinted at her. She was so adorable. Orihime brought him joy. He decided to flirt back with her. “Panty-dropper? Is that what happens when I smile at you?”

“Well, not technically. I mean, not yet, anyway. I’m pretty sure you would remember if it did,” she said in an attempt to act flirty and full of herself, but failing spectacularly as her cheeks turned bright red and she looked up at him like she was about to implode. God, she was such a dork. Oh well. Better he find out now.

A low chuckle escaped his throat. This was nice compared to the tension between them earlier. “It’s something I dream about, but you’re right; I’m sure I would remember it if that happened,” he murmured as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“I should hope so,” she said. “So what of these dreams? Anything specific? Any weird circumstances? Do these events take place in hot air balloons or down waterslides?” she said, teasing him.

“Eh, they’re just dreams I have.”

“Hmm,” she said and nodded. If he wanted to keep them to himself, he was allowed. “So, do you want to know what I have planned after this, or do you want to be surprised?”

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow and looked at Orihime. “Does it involve you and me and a private space?”

She shook her head. “Nope, it’s in public. Hope that’s not too disappointing,” she said, craning her neck to see his reaction.

He thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “Okay Miss Inoue. I’ll be surprised then,” Ulquiorra replied.

Their food was ready and she walked up with Ulquiorra to the window to grab it and put on any extras they wanted, then they walked over to a nearby bench and took a seat. “So,” Orihime began, feeling a bit of pressure to keep the flow of this date moving in a snappy direction. “Any Coffee & Sadness gossip or news lately? New dishes you might give me a sneak peak of? New and wild flavor combos?” She smiled and took a bite of her gyro after asking.

Ulquiorra’s mouth was full so he just shook his head before swallowing the bite. “Nope. We will have the same things for November and December. Pumpkin spice is still popular. I might add a Cinnamon roll latte to the mix. Um, Ethan has a girlfriend. Other than that...” He smiled at her again before he cleared his throat. “Orihime, I apologize for earlier at the shop. It was insensitive of me not to take your feelings into consideration concerning Rangiku.”

Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull at the mention of a cinnamon roll latte, and if she hadn’t already been eating she might have had to wipe the drool away from her lips. As it was, though, she was forced to chew and swallow quickly after his apology. She was actually slightly glad that she had a few seconds to consider it before she needed to reply. “Wow, Ulquiorra, um, thank you,” she said when she could. Grimmjow would have never apologized for something like this. He would have made it her fault.

“You’re welcome,” he said before taking another bite. He chewed silently for a moment before he sighed. “Seems silly for you to thank me for that. I need to be more understanding of things that make you uncomfortable. I have no feelings for Ran. I’m neutral towards her. You’re the one I want to be with. You make me… you make me… you bring me joy.”

Her right eyebrow had been in danger of raising right off of her face as he stalled, but its pair joined it when he finally got to his answer. “Joy?” she echoed, looking at him a bit like she didn’t fully understand, but a smile broke out slowly on her face as she lowered her food to her lap. “I bring you joy?”

It was his turn to blush, his face turning bright red. “Yes, you make me happy,” he said softly.

She bit her lower lip and looked down at her food for a minute, then nudged his shoulder with her own and murmured, “Um, same,” before taking a monster bite of her gyro.

At about the same time, she heard a voice calling her name. She looked up and had to cover her mouth to prevent cucumbers from falling out of it. She squinted as she recognized the new Rotten Brand Management gofer, Charlie, crossing the street towards them. 

“Hey Orihime! I never see you out,” the young man chirped with a smile, then looked at Ulquiorra. “Hey! I know you! What are you two doing out here?” he asked, grinning at Ulquiorra.

The color of his face quickly faded as the other man approached. Ulquiorra stared at the RBM’s coffee boy for a moment. “We’re on a date,” he said without any inflection to his voice.

Orihime smiled back at Charlie. “Yeah, what are you doing out here?” she asked, just trying to be nice.

“Oh, I’m waiting for some friends. So you two are dating?” he seemed to size them up and assess them, his face turning a bit serious for a second. Finally he nodded and said, “You look good together. Well, I gotta run. It was nice seeing you guys,” he said before waving awkwardly and walking away.

Orihime snuffled a laugh and said, “What the heck was that?” looking over at Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra continued to stare at Charlie’s back before he shrugged. “He seemed… a bit concerned that we’re together. Does he have a crush on you?”

Orihime had taken another bite in the meantime and had to disagree with just a vague vocalization. “I think he is comparing us to me and Grimmjow. People at RBM did not exactly ship me and Grimmjow,” she said after she swallowed the last of her gyro. 

The man gave her a side-eyed glance before muttering, “I didn’t ship you and Grimmjow. He is a horrible person sometimes.”

Orihime shrugged as she wiped her hands off on a napkin. “Well, it took me a little too long to figure that out.” She looked at Ulquiorra and narrowed her eyes, thinking about it a bit more. “You know… I was really upset about the stuff he said to me the other day, and it dug up old hard feelings, but really…” she paused and sighed, looking out at the people walking on the sidewalk. “I really don’t care that he left me for Lucy. I really hope they are happy together. I don’t mean that in a spiteful way or anything.”

“Grimmjow says he reads your book to Brady every night. It’s his favorite book.”

Orihime smiled. “Good. It’s a good book; I can’t say I blame him,” she said, standing and looking down at Ulquiorra. She had enough decency to blush at her own bragging.

He gave a one sided grin before he stood up too. “So what’s the next part of this date?” Ulquiorra asked.

“Follow me,” she said, walking to a crosswalk and slipping her hand between his body and his elbow. She led him across the street and down a bit until she got to a door that had a little Pac-Man looking logo on it. “What do you usually drink when you’re not at fancy places like Starrk’s?” she asked as she opened the door.

“Water,” he said. “You’re taking me to an arcade?”

“It’s a grown-ups only arcade,” she said, looking a little embarrassed. She didn’t say anything as she went to a machine and stuck in a twenty dollar bill. She had come prepared, with two plastic sandwich bags to split the quarters that came out. “This one is yours,” she said with a motherly tone. “Use it wisely. I’m going to go get you a water. Are you sure that’s all you want?” she asked.

Ulquiorra looked at the bag and then looked at Orihime before he laughed. “Yes, a water will be fine. I only drink at Starrk’s because I’m comfortable there.”

She nodded. “You’re not going to judge me if I have one?” she asked as she walked away. She didn’t think he would. She came back about two minutes later with a bottle of water and a glass full of something dark and bubbly. “So, have you had a chance to scope out the machines? I have a few favorites, but you can pick what you like,” she said, eyeing up the decades-old machines. There were claw-grip catcher games, coin slot games, old school NAMCO games, an old booth type Jurassic Park shooter… really a lot of old, old machines that felt very nostalgic, even though technically a lot of them were before Orihime and Ulquiorra’s time.

He looked around the arcade and shrugged. Uncle Aizen wasn’t the type to encourage the use of video games. Ulquiorra only played them when Grimmjow’s mom hadn’t pawned whatever system she had bought on layaway or from a rental place. “Show me around and we’ll see if I like anything.”

Orihime took a sip of her drink and again took the lead, pulling back the curtain of the Jurassic Park game a bit and seeing it empty. “Come on,” she said, pulling him inside and setting her drink into a cup holder. “Okay. Point and shoot, Don’t let the T-Rex eat us,” she said, slipping some quarters into a slot and waiting for him to get settled in beside her.

The game and its graphics were horrible, but Ulquiorra shot all the velociraptors with precision. Still he and the redhead lost as they encountered more difficult scenarios in the game. “Want to move onto a different game?” he asked as the screen flashed game over. 

She was impressed. For someone who didn’t seem too into this activity, he seemed good at it. Before she answered him she twisted in her seat and planted a kiss at the corner of his lips. Her kiss tasted a bit like coconut. “Different game,” she said with her lips still near his, before she moved to sit back down and grab her things.

“What are you drinking?” he asked as they sat there for a moment. 

“Malibu and Coke. Do you want a sip?” she offered.

He shook his head. “Not my thing,” he replied. Ulquiorra leaned over and kissed her, though, and he leaned back before he got out of the seat.

“Okay,” she said softly as she followed him. “What’s next?” She spied a Street Fighter kind of game and started walking in that direction, but kept her eyes on her date for any indication that he might be interested in something else.

Ulquiorra followed her, tagging along like a puppy. “I’m not used to playing games like this, Orihime. Pick what you want to play and I’ll play with you.”

So that’s what she did. She button-smashed the Street Fighter game. They both floundered trying to figure out the mechanics of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle game. They played Whack-a-Mole and Skeeball. They spent a good five bucks at the claw crane game, and Orihime ended up winning Ulquiorra a little squishy kawaii coffee cup plushie. 

After all the quarters were spent and her drink was done, she was getting the feeling he wasn’t really enjoying himself. “So, um, wanna call it a night?” she offered.

“We can,” he said, taking her hand. “Did you play a lot of video games growing up?”

“My brother and I played from time to time. As you can see, I’m not especially good at them,” she said as he opened the door into the night air. “I brought you here because I thought it would be fun,” she said, grimacing a bit in an apologetic manner.

Ulquiorra gave her a questioning look. “I did have fun, but I’m not used to so much stimulation or playing games like this. Aizen, my uncle, wasn’t into entertainment that he considered subpar. This was fun. I liked watching your face light up while playing.”

She gave him a half-smile, still convinced that he hated it and was just saying this for her benefit. It was chilly out, so she crowded him a bit, leaning into his arm. “So, what kind of entertainment were you allowed to enjoy growing up?” she asked, changing the subject away from her subpar activity.

“Books, plays, theater performances that were boring, opera...” Ulquiorra said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Since I left Aizen’s care I’ve never stepped foot into an opulent building to watch someone sing or dance. I do occasionally read when the mood strikes me. I used to play golf, which I detested.”

“Huh,” she said. “He sounds like a super fun guy, your uncle,” she teased. “What’s your fondest memory growing up? Or one of them… I’m sure that’s kind of tough to choose.”

“I don’t really have one,” Ulquiorra replied. “What about you? What was your aunt like?”

“She’s a little rough around the edges,” Orihime admitted. “She has a gruff voice and she looks like my mom looked but a little taller and a lot healthier, despite the cigarettes and being older. She works really hard. She has a great laugh if you manage to get her going. I think she’d like you,” she said the last part softly.

“I would love to meet her. I just don’t have anyone for you to meet.”

“Maybe someday,” Orihime said. “She lives in Alabama now. And it’s alright about not wanting to introduce me to anyone,” she said, giving his arm a squeeze. She didn’t feel like she should pry about his family at the moment. He seemed kind of melancholy.

To Ulquiorra there was a big difference between not wanting to introduce her to anyone and not having anyone. His parents had been dead a long time. His uncle was a scumbag… A charming scumbag. “Do you want to go back to my place and watch a movie?”

“That sounds great,” she said, giving him a grin.


	27. Window Shopping

“Will you go on a date with me?” he asked her.

She had agreed to said date. She had worn the same old oatmeal wrap sweater. Same old jeans. Same old boots. It felt new, though. This all felt new. This time Ulquiorra had asked her out. It was about a week and a half after the one she had asked him out on. 

The week that followed that date at the arcade had been much like the ones before, except that Ulquiorra was always at the shop when she came in for coffee. They exchanged smiles and longing glances. They stole kisses in the back room. It was a big improvement over the prickly feeling Orihime had experienced while Rangiku had been working the early shift.

So Ulquiorra took off early and they decided to go window shopping. They started at a sweets shop and had a little something to bolster their energy, then took off hand and hand, dropping into one shop after the next. It was fun learning about the kinds of things Ulquiorra appreciated or got excited about. She kept watching his eyes light up as he explained such and such kitchen tool to her at the kitchen goods store, or the serious expression on his face when he talked about the superiority of one product over another in an electronics shop.

She kept smiling, and she couldn’t wipe the stupid look off her face if she tried, as they continued to walk through the chilly streets, stopping in a candle shop this time, after stopping at a spice shop. Orihime had her arm threaded through the crook of his elbow as they browsed the selection. “Oh, smell this one! I will give you three guesses what it’s supposed to be,” she said, holding up a glass tumbler filled with medium brown wax. Her hand covered the label.

“Uh, um,” he took a sniff of it and then shrugged. “I have no clue. I know food scents, not whatever this is.”

“Oh, come on, take a stab at it. Even if you’re wrong, it will be fun,” she pleaded.

“Hmmm, it smells manly? I guess? Um… earthy? Woods!”

“Good. See, you’re not too far off. Honestly? It smells a lot like you. How much is this?” she muttered the question under her breath, turning the tumbler over and then raising her eyebrows. She put it back on the shelf without a word and tugged in another direction. “There’s food-scented ones over here, you want to guess those?”

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow and looked at the name of the scent. “What’s wrong with that one?” he asked as he followed her. 

“Nothing. It’s perfect,” she said.

“Do you want it?”

“Well, yeah, but as Aunt Kathy always says, ‘If wishes were horses, beggars would ride’.” It’s not that she  _ couldn’t  _ afford it, it just seemed so extravagant. Her old frugal habits were hard to let go of.

Oh. She was worried about the price of it. Ulquiorra would offer to buy it, but she didn’t seem like the type to accept gifts even if she was with someone. Well, Grimmjow had bought her an iPad, but that was in the past. There was something about her that screamed she was begrudgingly accepting of his generosity. He’d come buy it for her later. “Ah. Okay, what’s the next scent?” 

This time she held up a red one. “Only one guess this time. If you get this wrong, then I was all wrong about you,” she teased in a deadpan voice.

“Hmmm, it’s crisp. There’s a slight floral scent… Smells like the beginning of a harvest… Apples? Macintosh?”

She raised her brows in an appreciative way and revealed the label, which read, “Marvelous Macintosh”. 

“Are you for real?” she asked.

Ulquiorra smiled, showing his teeth. “I told you. I know food smells,” he said. “Try again?”

“Okay,” she said, smiling and nodding, tapping her chin with a finger as she glanced around. “Ah ha!” she said, her eyes narrowing on a clearance rack. “Close your eyes for this one,” she said, bringing two candles over. The first was candy corn. The second? Pumpkin Spice.

“That is a nasty basic bitch latte. It’s too sweet. There’s too much cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s cloying and too much artificial vanilla.” 

“Ding ding ding!” she cheered. “Okay, round two. You get this one right and you win.”

Ulquiorra grabbed her wrist before she could get away from him. “Are you ever doing to drop that?” he asked with an innocent look on his face.

“Drop what?” she asked, baffled, but in an amused way.

“Orihime… The pumpkin spice woman,” he said, now frowning.

“Oh.” Honestly, she hadn’t had that one woman in mind. “You know, I haven’t thought about that in ages. This is more of… I don’t know. I feel like it’s our inside joke,” she said, blushing a bit.

Oh shit. He totally read the situation wrong. “I’m sorry. I thought… It’s not important. You know when you smell a bad cinnamon scent and it hangs in your throat for a while? That’s how Pumpkin Spice and October sits with me,” he replied and kissed her slowly and deeply. “Sorry.”

She gave him a secret kind of smile after he broke the kiss. “Don’t be. Well, do you want to test me? Or tell me what I smell similar to?” she asked as she leaned into him again for a second before looking down the wall of colored wax.

“Oh no… I have one more round left and if I win… I get a prize, don’t I?” Ulquiorra asked.

“Oh, right. Okay close your eyes here’s the other one.” She lifted the multicolored candle up.

“Vanilla… some fruit… I’m not sure of that one,” Ulquiorra said.

“Ha ha!” she laughed triumphantly. “I’ve stumped the master?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Open your eyes,” she said.

Ulquiorra did and then blinked. He looked down at his girlfriend who wore the biggest smile on her face. “You know… I was going to buy you that candle if I won and you were going to accept it,” he said. “What did I miss?”

She scoffed. “Well, that is crap,” she teased. “This is crap, too,” she said, revealing the candy corn candle with its orange, white, and yellow layers. “Ugly and unpleasant.”

“Ugh… no wonder it threw me off. Okay my turn!” He looked around the store and then found the flower scents. He had her face the other direction as he sniffed the candles. “Here, smell this,” he said.

She came over and closed her eyes, taking a deep sniff, blowing it out, and then another. “Um… it smells like… roses a bit? Also, like… fresh. Like clean but not soapy.” She took another sniff. “Oh wait, is that “rain” scent?”

“This is what you smell like to me,” he said. Instead of putting the candle back, he kept it in his hands. “Does this place have baskets to put candles in while you shop?”

“Yeah, they’re by the door,” she said, smiling at him. “Are you getting one?”

Ulquiorra nodded. “I’m getting this one. You’re that fresh and clean scent but there’s also a hint of flowers around you,” he replied as he walked over to where the baskets were kept. He picked up one and put the teal colored candle in it. Then he walked over to the scent she had picked out for him and put one of those candles in it. “Are you ready for your three candle challenge Miss Inoue?”

“Yes, lay it on me, Mister Cifer.”

He wouldn’t focus on just one scent category; instead Ulquiorra went over to the food and drink scented candles first. He plucked a dark purple one from the shelf and gave it a sniff. It smelled like a blueberry mojito. “Here,” he stated.

“Hmmm,” she said, taking a sniff. “Spearmint and some kind of berry?” she sniffed again. “Blueberry mint.. Blueberry mint… and sugar… Oh! Blueberry mojito!”

“Ding ding ding, round one goes to you,” Ulquiorra said, borrowing her phrase. “Hmmm, Oooh!” He looked at a bright yellow candle that was in the floral scent section and took her over there. It said Honeysuckle and Sunshine. He took a tiny sniff and about gagged.

She took a scent and her nose wrinkled and she pulled her head away. “Whoa. That smells like… Um… Ladies who wear too much perfume.”

“Right? What’s the notes though? What can you smell besides hookers and old women?”

“What do you know of hookers?” she asked, twisting her lips into a sassy smirk. “Let’s see, then…” This time she used her hand to waft the fragrance to her nose instead of sniffing it directly from the jar. “Um… Sweetness, like nectar. Some kind of amber or musk? It doesn’t go well with the sweetness.”

His hand uncovered the label and he showed it to her. “I know nothing of hookers but my uncle is a...connoisseur of high end escorts. Or he used to be when I was around him during the summer months.”

“Wow… Classy,” she said, then her eyes drifted toward the ground. “Not that I can say much about that.”

Ulquiorra put the candle back and then tilted Orihime’s head up. “Hey, you don’t need to bring yourself down just because of your past or your mother. You mean the world to me. I’m falling in love with you.”

Her eyes widened. Did he just say--? Her cheeks flushed. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out.

His eyes went wide, too, as he realized what he said. The cat was out of the bag now. He had just admitted to her and to himself what he was feeling. It wasn’t bad, just different. “C’mon, let’s pay for this and we can talk in the car. Would that be okay?”

“Uh, yeah,” she said, her voice a bit unsteady and very quiet. She followed him to the register, and as they waited, she put her hand in his elbow again, and found herself inching closer and closer. She couldn’t believe this.

He gave her a hint of a smile as the line moved and when they got to the register, Ulquiorra put the basket on the counter. 

“Ohh! Good choice! Humidor and Waterflowers. Such great smells. Your lady has great taste,” the woman said as she rang the candles up. 

“Thank you, I know she does,” Ulquiorra replied.

She bit her lip. She could barely contain the feelings that were welling up in her. She used her other hand to hold onto his arm too. She probably looked like some kind of clingy date, but she didn’t care. He said he was falling in love with her. She didn’t say anything about it first; he had said it on his own without any prodding from her.

When he was given the price, Ulquiorra just handed over a bank card. He didn’t blink or flinch. The cashier put the candles in separate bags and bid them both goodnight. “Ready?”

“Yeah,” she said. She was more than ready.

The two left the candle shop and Ulquiorra guided them to the car, which he unlocked and started remotely as soon as they were in range. He opened Orihime’s door and then went around to the driver's side. He didn’t say anything as he put the two bags in the backseat.

“So?” She would let him go first. She didn’t want him to feel like he had to say something based on her reaction.

“So, yeah.” He looked over at her with a red face. “I’ve been falling in love with you. Before we even started this. Before you broke up with Grimmjow. You’re the reason why… Halloween.”

“Halloween?” 

“You’re the reason why I didn’t go home with one of your fake friends,” he stated, fidgeting with the ends of his scarf. “I wanted to kiss you so desperately that night. I didn’t though. I had to respect your relationship.”

She got lost in memories of that night. How he had followed her into the ladies room. How she had been so jealous when he talked to her friends. How she felt guilty later when she went home with Grimmjow, knowing that if Ulquiorra  _ had _ kissed her, she probably wouldn’t have stopped him. “Ulquiorra, I…” she leaned over the center console and kissed him, using both hands to frame his face.

That was a first for him. He felt like he could have turned into a puddle. Her kiss was gentle. It was tender. There was passion behind it though. He leaned towards her and into their liplock. He pulled away, his heart beating rapidly. “I--I--” Ulquiorra swallowed and shook his head. He couldn’t find the right words to say anything to her.

He looked so sweetly terrified. It made her heart melt. “Ulquiorra,” she said the word like she was hugging it. “You can tell me anything, remember?” She leaned into him again for another embrace and breathed his scent in. That candle was nice, but the real thing was so much better.

“I started having feelings for you before Halloween. They came to the surface that night though,” he murmured into her hair. “You had Grimm, though. Ran told me that you came into the shop with one of your friends and she overheard you say that Grimmjow wasn’t treating you right. I wanted to punch him. So… yeah… I have feelings for you. Deep feelings that I tried to hide then because you were in a relationship and I didn’t want to scare you. But you knew how I felt about you. I told you. Those feelings are still there after all that time has passed.”

She pulled back to look him in the eyes. She stared for a long time with big, round, soft eyes. “I’m not afraid of you, Ulquiorra. I’m not. You… You got under my skin a long time ago.”

His brows furrowed. “But this,” he said. “We’ve been slow in starting this and… I’m scared, Orihime. I’ve never felt like this with anyone else. I’ve never… I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to screw up.”

She smiled at him. He still looked terrified. She kissed his lips softly and sat back up. “Can I tell you my side of things?”

The man nodded. “Absolutely.”

“Well, I noticed you the first time I came into Coffee & Sadness. I couldn’t believe that there was a shop that was named after my blog. When I went inside, it was spring. I think it was back in mid-May; during finals last year. Do you remember what the special was then?”

“May is banana and peach month. Peach iced tea was the popular thing and banana rum bread,” he said staring at her. “Izuru picked that month.”

“Yep. And when I came in that morning, you weren’t behind the register. Ian was. You were on your break. I asked what was good and he said get the special, so I did. I took a seat near the doors and had a bite of that bread, which was good, by the way. Very good. But I felt a little out of place there. It felt like that place was too good for me; too cool. Too quality. Too Pottery Barn, even though I  _ love _ Pottery Barn. Anyway, I couldn’t relax, until you came in from break, smelling like tobacco and cloves and looking like this cool, untouchable guy. It was the smell that got my attention, first. It made me feel at home. Then I just watched you.”

“I like Pottery Barn,” he said with a small laugh. That was embarrassing to admit. “I’m not cool. I’m not trendy. I’m boring, Orihime. You’ve seen me in action. I tried to remain unaffected by you. I know I was a dick to you.”

“Yes, you were,” she said, chuckling a bit. “But despite that, once I let my dark side show, you always stood on my side of the line. Do you know what I’m getting at? We both stand on the quietly subversive side of things. You never failed to join me in that, and it made me feel close to you. Even though you were a jerk and, for the longest time, I was convinced you were gay, by the way. It was right around that time that I started actually dating Grimmjow. 

“Rangiku told me you thought I was gay. We both laughed about it. I didn’t understand that. I eyefucked you whenever I could. Even after Grimmjow found out that I wanted you… I continued to do it,” Ulquiorra sighed and leaned back against the driverseat. “I don’t think you noticed when I watched you. Just seeing how you would smile or mumble something under your breath. And your dumb friends were oblivious to it. That made me laugh.”

She giggled a bit. “Yeah, you got me. You are the only one who gets me all the time. You have an exceptional sense of humor. And funny people are  _ not _ boring. Funny people are smart and sad. Funny people are Coffee and Sadness.”

“Do you want to go back home or to my place?? We can do something else, if you’d like. Right now I just want to hold you and talk without everyone else around. If you want to be out, that’s okay too.”

“Let’s go to your place. We can talk some more and I’d rather be comfortable while we do.”

***

After they arrived at Ulquiorra’s apartment, Orihime decided to wait until they got comfortable to drop the news. She watched Ulquiorra disappear into his room and change as he always did, while she got herself situated on the couch. When he came back out, she patted the space beside her. “I have some news,” she said, deciding to just get it out of the way.

Ulquiorra did as she suggested and sat next to Orihime. When he was comfortable, he turned and looked at her. “News?” he said.

“Mr. Kuchiki told me this morning that my New York tour date has been set… for next weekend,” she said, grimacing. The following weekend was Thanksgiving. They hadn’t talked about it, but she was kind of presuming that they would spend time together. It had only recently occurred to her that he might have extended family obligations.

A frown crossed his face. “New York? That’s a big step for a book tour. And it falls on Thanksgiving.” He sighed. “I guess I’ll be eating alone again this year.” Ulquiorra gave her a smile but it was fleeting.

She pouted. She didn’t like to see him unhappy. “You could always come with me, if you could get out of work,” she offered feebly. She knew he wasn’t that flexible usually.

The idea was tempting. It was more than tempting. “I don’t know. I’d have to talk to Rangiku, Izuru, and Ethan about it. You know how much I like to avoid conversation with her. If you’re doing this book tour, you need to focus, instead of me distracting you. What about--What about Christmas? You’ll be going on break from school right?”

She shook her head. “No. I’ll have my final exams about two weeks before Christmas, and if all goes according to plan, I’ll graduate on the eighteenth. Then I’ll join you in the ranks of Northwestern graduates,” she said with a small smile. “Do you have plans for Christmas?” 

Ulquiorra looked up at Orihime. He frowned deeper before shaking his head. “No. I never have plans. I don’t put up a tree or anything. Aizen wasn’t big on holidays. Most I got from him was a card with money in it.” Ulquiorra looked at Orihime with a raised brow. “Why?”

She shrugged. “It’s just that it’s coming up. Maybe we can have dinner or something, if you’re not busy or anything. I don’t have any other plans,” she said casually, not getting her hopes up.

“You want to spend Christmas with me?” Warmth filled his eyes and Ulquiorra gave a nod. “Spend Christmas Eve with me, too.”

“Really?” she asked, turning to see his expression. When she saw it, a grin cut through the slight tension on her face. “I’d love to.”

He nodded again. “Good. I guess this means I have to put my Christmas tree up. You’ll help me with that after everything is done, right?”

“Sure! I haven’t done a Christmas tree in years, either. This will be fun,” she said, still beaming at him.

“I don’t have any decorations for it. It’s just a tree and some lights. Ornaments are… distracting. Of course, I could...” Ulquiorra glanced at her and then blushed. She probably wouldn’t want to go back to Highland Park. “We could celebrate it in my childhood home instead of the apartment. We could play house up there.”

She raised a brow at him. “Would you want to? I mean, do you consider it home? I always thought you were supposed to be home for the holidays,” she said, singing the last part to the tune of the song by the same name.

Ulquiorra considered her words for a moment. “You’re right. It’s not home to me. So you’ll come over on Christmas Eve afternoon or something? We’ll spend Christmas together? What kind of stuff do you want to eat?” He asked nervously. He’d never spent a holiday with anyone he had feelings for. “Of course, you’re going to have to help with food. I demand it.”

Orihime laughed. “Okay, no promises on quality, though. I can make some excellent lean cuisines or we can just split a bag of Doritos. I’m not that picky. Although…” her eyes drifted off to the side as she imagined some of her childhood christmas fantasies. “We  _ could _ do real food for real grown people. I would need a few days to practice, though.”

“How about duck or lamb? Roast beef?” He was just throwing ideas out there. “We can have finger foods on Christmas Eve and a movie marathon. Have to watch A Christmas Story and all those other classics, even Home Alone.” Ulquiorra gave her a smile before he leaned over to her and gave her a slow and sweet kiss. When he broke it, he rested his forehead against her shoulder. 

She would have melted based on his smile alone. The kiss and this closeness… She knew that this thing budding between them was going to be big. It deserved the time they had been taking to let it grow. She leaned her head down to rest lightly on his. “It sounds perfect. I will make some finger food and you can make some and we can surprise each other for Christmas Eve. And if we are watching a million movies, we had better start early.”

“Just show up in your pajamas in the morning. We’ll figure it out,” he laughed and sat up. “I would like to spend more time with you, but I know how close you are to graduating and missing class would be unproductive.”

She nodded. “Yeah. It’s really close, and now I have to go to  _ stupid  _ New York. Oh, and there are stops on the way. Ohio, Indiana, and a couple around here so I won’t be done with this part of the book tour until the Sunday after Thanksgiving, so the time I have available between now and finals is getting really cut short,” she said with a displeased face. 

Ulquiorra took her hand and started stroking her palm with a finger. He sighed. “You’re doing things with your life, Orihime. You have a great opportunity. When you get back from your tour, we will celebrate our first Thanksgiving together, okay?”

“Maybe Thanksgiving for your birthday?” she proposed.

The grin was slow to spread over his mouth. Ulquiorra gave her a nod. “Sounds like a plan. I wonder how pumpkin cheesecake would taste.”

Her brows flashed at him. “I think I might lift my pumpkin spice embargo for that.”


	28. Exes All Around

The text came in while she was in New York.

**Orihime:** Hey, um, so my graduation ceremony is on Friday the 18th. My aunt can’t make it. Wanna come?

Ulquiorra stared at the words on the screen of his phone for a good fifteen minutes. He wanted to know why her aunt couldn’t make it. Why wouldn’t the woman who practically raised Orihime miss out on this occasion? It wasn’t any of his business, but he was still curious. After a few more minutes passed by he answered. 

**Ulquiorra:** I’ll be the biggest cheerleader there for you with flowers and everything.

She bit her lip as she sat in the cafe of the bookstore, waiting for her time to start for the reading. She grinned and took a selfie of her and her cup of Starbucks.

**Orihime:** You have made me smile this big despite drinking this swill.

Ulquiorra wrinkled his nose at the photo and took a picture of himself in front of the espresso machines, sending that to Orihime.

**Ulquiorra:** That stuff will rot your gut.

Orihime chuckled and hummed her agreement to his sentiment. Then she heard a familiar voice.

“Orihime? Julie said they’re ready for you now,” Orihime’s aunt, Kathy, said, coming over from where she had been standing and talking to the other woman. Kathy had decided to surprise Orihime by showing up at this Barnes & Nobles in New York. That was why she couldn’t come to the graduation. Plus, it was much easier for her to get off of work for Thanksgiving weekend than a Friday afternoon in the middle of December.

“Okay,” Orihime said, getting up. “Hey, can we take a picture to send to my, um, friend?” she asked.

Her aunt nodded and smiled, hugging Orihime from the side and pressing the side of her cheek to the short redhead’s hair. “Cheese!”

Orihime looked at the picture and sighed fondly, sending it off.

**Orihime:** Aunt Kathy says CHEESE. Time to read. TTYL <3

Ulquiorra looked at the photo before he gave a small smile. He, of course, was interrupted by Rangiku. 

“Lover girl?” she said as she leaned on the counter. “You two have been glued at the hips and lips for the past couple of weeks; did you finally seal the deal?”

A nasty look flickered over to where she stood. Ulquiorra put his phone back into his pocket. “Not any of your concern. I thought you were going to be polite when I asked you to cover Ethan’s shift.”

The blonde woman gave a shrug. “Are you taking your time with this one? Like you took your time with Luppi?”

A groan left Ulquiorra. “You know what, just go. I got this. If you want to be a bitch about me dating Orihime, just leave.”

“You want to know what my problem is?”

“What?”

“You’re too good for her. She’s going to have problems later in life. She’s going to be the leech like her mom was. She’s using--” Rangiku’s words were cut off as Ulquiorra almost threw her over the counter. As it was he had her by the arm and was leading her to the break room.

“Get your shit and leave, come back when you’re actually scheduled.”

As he watched Rangiku gather her coat and purse, Ulquiorra thought about things. He wished he could be impulsive and just go with Orihime to New York, but he knew he wanted everything to be special between them. He didn’t want to distract her from this opportunity to start a successful career. He wanted to build something meaningful with her. Another sigh left him.

**Ulquiorra:** I know you’re reading but I miss you. 

***

Orihime’s appearance was finished about an hour and a half later. She had plans to go to an Off-Broadway show with her aunt and Julie after an early dinner, but they were stopping at their hotel first to get changed and chill out a bit. She read his text in the cab and started writing a reply that she didn’t finish until she was alone.

**Orihime:** I’m done. I’m going out in about an hour with Julie and Kathy but… Ulquiorra, I really miss you, too. I wish you were here. This is all great and exciting and I’m happy that Kathy gets to see this and that people love the book, but… You are the reason that book was written. I keep looking out into the gathering of people when I’m reading and find myself looking for your face. Sorry if I sound clingy or whatever, but it’s the truth.

When Rangiku came in again, Ulquiorra was busy. He was so busy that he hadn’t had time to check his messages. When the afternoon crowd died down, he pulled out his phone as he was cleaning the counter where the drinks were prepped.

His heart melted.

“She does sound clingy,” Ranigku said, in a rather snotty voice.

Ulquiorra turned his head enough to see the blonde’s face. “She does not,” he replied.

“Really? You believe her bullshit?”

“Ran. Stop.” He turned around to face Rangiku, who was staring at him with her arms folded under her breasts. “What?”

She shook her head. “I don’t get it. I didn’t get a chance, but you really like her, don’t you? You’ve never had a woman stay the night. You’ve never doted on another woman.”

“Yes, I have.” He stared hard at her, daring her to say another word. “You know I did all those things before you slept with Grimmjow.”

Of course Rangiku took up the challenge. “Oh, I count now?” She smiled at him and then went out to the lobby. She knew when she pushed his buttons.

With a sigh, Ulquiorra clocked out and then went to his apartment, head swirling with thoughts. 

There were two timelines in Ulquiorra’s life. Before prison and after prison.

Rangiku was not supposed to mention the times they were together or had sex. He thought he could have had something with her, but she was… Rangiku was selfish. She was a brat. She ran her mouth too much. Ulquiorra had brought her up to his apartment exactly two times after the first hotel fuck. After she fell asleep in his bed the second time, he realized that she was not his type. She was just something to fill the space after Sung-Sun betrayed him. Then when he changed his mind and wanted to try to get close to her, Grimmjow swooped in.

Wasn’t that some shit? He should have never brought his ex into his apartment. It wasn’t much of an apartment back then. Exposed brick walls, warehouse windows and a shaky wood floor. His bed was just a frame with box springs and a mattress on one side of the place. It didn’t even have a proper bathroom when he met Sung-Sun and Rangiku.

When he looked through his father’s things when he turned sixteen, Ulquiorra realized that his father had plans to transform the building Coffee & Sadness was located into stunning loft apartments. Since Ulquiorra inherited everything Robert Cifer owned, he knew what he would do with the place. It needed a lot of work to become what his father envisioned it as. 

Aizen helped him with finding contractors and meeting with designers. As soon as he graduated, he moved into the apartment which still was undergoing renovations. Ulquiorra said his apartment wasn’t important. The coffee shop and the other two apartments were priority.

Within six months after he left high school, and three months after he started college, Espresso IV was open. Business boomed for several years until Ulquiorra went to prison for what he did. Ulquiorra and Rangiku had hooked up before the prison stint. She kept the place running until Ulquiorra was released. That’s why he made her manager and kept himself at the position of lowly barista. 

The after prison thing, no woman had stayed there. None had really stepped foot in there. Rangiku didn’t count. He didn’t consider her anything special… Not really. She was his friend. She was someone he could confide in. He owed Rangiku a lot, which is why Ulquiorra couldn’t fire her. 

*** 

After she got back from New York, Orihime had a bit of a meltdown about her upcoming finals. She had put so much of her focus on her book tour that she had kind of brushed her concerns about her tests to the side. 

She had dinner with Ulquiorra on his birthday and gave him a bottle of wine, a mixed tape, and an I heart NY mug. They listened to it and drank the wine and kissed and snuggled, but she left at a reasonable hour so she could get up early and finish up a piece she had been working on. She had to dig deep and get things done. These were her last couple weeks of college. She had to make them count. She was also lucky that Mr. Kuchiki had decided to let her have the rest of the month off after Wednesday, December second.

There was a reason she was needed those three days that first week; big year-end meetings with big clients. 

People would be in and out of the office all day. There would be back clapping and schmoozing. Clients like Riruka and Ginjo would be there. Orihime’s help would be needed to make sure everyone was taken care of; Charlie couldn’t be expected to do it all on his own when he was also preparing for finals.

It was just her luck that when Constance Cosmetics sent a representative on Wednesday, they sent Grimmjow. It was also just her luck that Kuchiki was running behind schedule, leaving Grimmjow to wait. Susan had called her while she waited in line at Coffee & Sadness for another conference order and asked her to pick something up that she thought Grimmjow would like. Orihime sighed. She didn’t really want to deal with this. As she waited, she looked around. It had been a long time since her breakup with Grimmjow. It had been over a month since their awkward encounter at the office and argument in the parking lot. A lot had happened since then. She saw the holiday decorations and the smiles on the patrons of the coffee shop and decided, _to hell with it; it’s Christmas._

When she got back to RBM, she passed off the Dollhouse conference order and then went to the small conference room; the one that used to be Grimmjow’s office. The one where he was presently waiting his turn for an audience with Kuchiki.

Just like old times, Orihime knocked on the doorframe before letting herself in. “Hey Grimmjow. I hope life’s been treating you well.”

She paused and took a reassuring breath before approaching him. “So, I just wanted to tell you that, apart from our personal differences, I learned a lot from you professionally, and I really appreciate it. And I really am happy for you and Brady and Lucy. Bourbon flavor, espresso shot, large cup,” she said with a small smile as she set the coffee on the table in front of him. “Happy holidays.”

Grimmjow glanced at her and stood up. He eyed the cup she sat down before he walked around the corner of the table. “Princess? You’re gonna do well. I’m sorry for being an ass.” He nodded and picked up the coffee. “If you ever need anything, you know where to find me.”

She was stressed and overtired, and his words hit her hard. She couldn’t help it when hot, wet streaks of tears fell out of one eye. Her chin wrinkled a bit and she nodded, keeping her eyes downcast. Hearing his pet name for her pulled at her heartstrings and reminded her of the pain she had let go dormant inside of her. She blinked the tears away, sniffed once, and swallowed the tightness in her throat away before finally looking him in the eye. She sighed and gave him a tight smile. “Take care of yourself, alright?”

He reached out and patted her shoulder. “Anytime. Just call me,” he murmured before going back to the office chair. He turned his face away from her and stayed that way until she was gone.

And that was the last thing she did before signing out of her computer, checking out with Susan, and waving goodbye, saying happy holidays and see you next year to the rest of her coworkers. Orihime had some studying to do.

She made one stop, first. She would face down Rangiku for a decent cup of coffee. She was going to need it tonight. Also, maybe she’d text Ulquiorra to come and see her for a minute before she went to hit the books. 

When she got to the counter, she decided on an old throwback favorite. “Hey, I know it’s Minter, but can I get a caramel apple latte?” she asked, relieved that Izuru was on the register. She didn’t miss the slight tsk that came from behind a mane of long blonde hair tied into a ponytail.

Izuru put her order in and then gave Orihime the total before printing the sticker out. He handed it off to Rangiku, who glared at him. There was some muttering from the blonde woman. 

“Who in their right mind orders a non-seasonal drink? That flavor was like back in September,” the woman bitched as she made the drink.

Orihime sighed. Things should be chilling out with Rangiku, not getting worse. Why was she such a bitch to her all the time? From everything Ulquiorra told her, Rangiku was just an ex-booty call who knew her place and wasn’t going to cause problems. Well, technically she only caused the one problem with the wrong RBM order that one time. Okay, and she suspected the blonde put salt in Orihime’s coffee another time. But the point was that she was just fucking rude. Orihime was not in the mood today.

She waited until the blonde brought the cup over and asked, “What is your problem with me?”

“Excuse me?” Rangiku said, almost slamming the cup onto the counter. “I don’t know, you just walked into Ulq’s life and he’s been focused on you since you came in.”

“And that bothers you because...?” Orihime led the question.

“Oh I don’t know,” Rangiku said. She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “You rejected him and you think you can just jerk him around again. It just sucks that he dropped me for you.” 

Orihime’s brows lowered. “According to him, there was nothing to drop. So if you have a problem, take it up with him. I don’t appreciate you giving me an attitude every time I come to get coffee. And, for the record, I have not, nor would I ever, jerk him around.”

Rangiku snorted and rolled her eyes. “No you just led him on and when he told you how he felt, you told him no. He told me what happened. You ran off to Grimmjow and look where that got you.”

“That is not how it happened at all. I had been with Grimmjow. I wasn’t going to… No. It’s none of your business.” She picked up her cup and walked over to the other side of the seating area before she sent Ulquiorra a message.

**Orihime:** Your ex is nuts. She is giving me the third degree about what happened with you and Grimmjow. I was hoping to see you but I don’t want to end up getting into it with her again. Are you around or should I take this to go?

Ulquiorra had seen Orihime enter the shop on the security cameras. He was on his way down when he got her message. He went down the stairs faster and then walked into the coffee shop. A sigh left him as he saw Rangiku talking to Izuru. He spotted Orihime and walked over to where she sat. “Hey, you should have told me you were headed over. I would have been here to see you instead of having you deal with Ran.”

Orihime frowned at him gently. “That isn’t the point. There shouldn’t be a reason for me to have to avoid her. You keep telling me that there were never any feelings involved. I think you are very mistaken. She clearly has some feelings now, and none of them are very pleasant.”

Ulquiorra pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Whatever she felt for me isn’t my problem. She fucked up the first time and she knew what was going on between us the second time. It’s not my problem if she’s butthurt,” he said. 

Orihime’s brows rose and she rolled her eyes halfway. “Well, she’s making it my problem. Anyway, you’re both in luck, I’m going to be too busy to come in during her shift or much at all for the next couple of weeks. I hope by the time my finals are done, she gets whatever this is out of her system.”

“How is that my luck? I want to see you. I want to spend time with you,” Ulquiorra replied, dropping his hands and studying Orihime. “You’re the one making it your problem. Just blow her off.”

This time her frown was a bit more severe. “I shouldn’t have to.”

“Then don’t. What do you want me to do?”

“I don’t think you get what I am saying. I should not have to blow her off. She should treat me like she treats any other customer. I don’t know what you should do. But I know I am not comfortable coming in here when she acts like I am an unwanted fixture. She says I jerked you around and that you dropped her for me.” Orihime sighed and shook her head. “I said it’s lucky for you, because clearly you don’t want to deal with this. You won’t have to for a couple of weeks. That’s all.”

Ulquiorra sighed again, this time louder. He plopped down into the chair across from Orihime. She was correct in the statement that he didn’t want to deal with this. It wasn’t his fault or his concern about Rangiku’s feelings. She was her own person and he couldn’t control anything that she did. He wouldn’t fire the woman though, just because of a bad attitude. No one else complained about Ran. “So are you saying I’m not going to see you for a couple of weeks?”

She shook her head. “No, I will stop by on my way to school for coffee before she gets here, sometimes. You are more than welcome to come visit me. But I am going to be under a lot of pressure getting prepared for, and then taking, my finals. I can’t be dealing with her crap, too. I’m sorry, Ulquiorra, but right now… I just can’t be here when she is here.”

“Usually when she is in the building, you’re in my apartment. I know what finals are like. I was a college undergrad once. Look, I owe Rangiku. She is the one that kept this place afloat while I was in prison. Everything this place is, is because of Ran. I can’t fire her,” Ulquiorra said to the redhead. “I’m just the guy who makes really good coffee, she actually manages this place.”

Orihime exhaled loudly. “I get it. I’ll see…” she didn’t finish her thought. “Nnoitra still working at Starrk’s?” she asked. She suddenly had a taste for absinthe.

“Yes,” Ulquiorra said, his voice concerned as he stared at Orihime. “Are you going there? Why don’t you come upstairs with me?”

“I’m not going there if he’s there. I’m not stupid,” she muttered. “I’m supposed to be studying, but I’m too upset right now.” She sighed. “I guess I can come up for awhile.”

Just then she took a sip of her latte and nearly choked. “Oh dear god, what the hell is this?”

Ulquiorra took the cup from Orihime and took a sip, just in case it was something nasty. It wasn’t. It was a coffee with a shot of espresso and a shot of bourbon and a bit of cream. “This tastes like… This tastes like what Grimmjow used to order,” he finally said, a frown forming on his face. 

“That is _not_ what I ordered,” Orihime said, not bothering to hide the glare she shot at Rangiku.

Another sigh left him. He took the cup up to the counter and gave it to Izuru. Then Ulquiorra went behind the counter and took Rangiku aside. Ulquiorra scolded her and gave her the third degree about making orders wrong. His voice never raised beyond a normal voice. When he came back to the table, he had a caramel apple latte. “Do you want to go upstairs?” he asked Orihime.

She took a sniff and closed her eyes. She couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips when she smelled it. “Yeah, let’s go.”

He took her hand and led her up to his apartment. There was more snuggling. There was more kissing. Ulquiorra could feel himself being driven mad by their interactions. He was getting restless with himself. When he dropped Orihime off later that night, he was almost kicking himself.

***

Despite assurances that his business manager would behave, Orihime stayed out of Coffee & Sadness for the rest of the week, with the exception of a cup of black coffee on Friday and Saturday morning. She was stressed.

The first day of exams was the following Monday. She was nervous. She was pretty confident that she had adequately prepared, but there were always doubts about these kinds of things. She had a bland breakfast and coffee at home; She thought it best to avoid a certain someone’s distracting green eyes, so she texted him instead.

**Orihime:** Wish me luck. I am going to need it!

Ulquiorra smiled at her message. 

**Ulquiorra:** Good luck! I am bringing you dinner tonight. I need to get away from this place. It’s just soup and bread again. You’ll succeed.

Aww, he was the best.

**Orihime:** Thank you! You are a lifesaver. Also I’m sorry in advance about the mess at my place. ;)

Ulquiorra shook his head.

**Ulquiorra:** Not coming in. I’m delivering the basket and giving you a kiss and then leaving. You need to focus. Last semester. You need to graduate and go live your dreams.

Her brow twitched. Go live her dreams? Where did he think she was going? Oh well, it probably was just words.

**Orihime:** Thanks! I’ll see you later <3

She walked into her exam. Two hours later she walked out, completely drained. It was her only one that day. She made her way back home and took a nap.

Around seven pm, Ulquiorra pressed the buzzer on her door. He was bundled up due to walking over there. The only things that could be seen were his eyes.

She had woken up about a half hour earlier and was also bundled up in some thermal pajamas and a crocheted afgan. She buzzed him into the lobby and came down, smiling at the sight of Ulquiorra all wrapped up in a scarf and hat when he got inside. “You look adorable,” she said, letting the door close on it’s own and clutching her blanket a bit closer. It was frigid outside, and just having the door open a bit had her shivering.

“It’s fucking freezing, and it’s only December. It’s only going to get colder. Fucking Chicago,” he muttered and pulled the scarf from his mouth. “The soup _was_ hot. I baked the bread this afternoon. There should be enough in there for a couple of days. I’m making enchiladas on Wednesday. I’ll bring you some.”

“Ooh, you are the best,” she said, taking the soup from him and setting it on a ledge beside her before raising up on her toes to kiss his cold cheek. “You are freezing though. Do you want to call a car to get home? I could wait with you here if you don’t want to come up.”

Ulquiorra shook his head. “I’m going to head to Starrk’s and see if he has any homebrews to sell me, and then I’ll get an uber from there. I needed the distractions to be honest. How did the final go?”

“I think it was fine,” she answered. “Why did you need a distraction?”

“Just things are approaching and I wanted to see you,” he replied with a smile before he pulled the scarf back over his face. “Good luck on your next final. Enjoy the soup. I’ll see you Wednesday. Probably?”

“Probably?” Orihime’s voice sounded a bit put out. “Well, call me if you are going to change your mind so I can stop by somewhere and pick something--” She stopped herself. She was being selfish. She closed her eyes, inhaling slowly as she nodded to herself and said, “No, you know what? You seem stressed. Don’t worry about me. Focus on what you need to do, okay?”

The scarf was yanked down and Ulquiorra removed his winter hat. “I know that you have finals. I don’t want to be a distraction, Orihime. I say "probably" because you could be busy or studying or something. Focusing on you has been keeping me from getting overwhelmed with stress. I knew that I would see you today, and I looked forward to it.”

Her guard fell and she smiled at him. “Well then, look forward to Wednesday, too. Don’t get too tanked at Starrk’s. Tell him I didn’t forget about him; I’ll be back if he ever gets rid of that creepy bartender,” she said, a half smile on her face and a tinge of disappointment in her eyes. He had promised her soup _and_ a kiss. It looked like she was going to have to settle for just soup.

“What’s that look for?”

“What look?”

He completely unwrapped the scarf from his face this time and pressed Orihime against the wall. “The look you just gave me with your eyes. Sad or... Wait, I did promise you something. I figured you got your kiss when you kissed my cheek,” he murmured. Ulquiorra pulled his gloves from his fingers and one hand wormed its way under the blanket she had around her. “I’m trying not to be a distraction, Miss Inoue.” 

“You some kind of mind reader, Mister Cifer?” she asked, trying to keep the sad expression in her eyes going but failing spectacularly as they lit up for him.

He gave her a half smirk. “Maybe.” Ulquiorra tilted her face up to his and he didn’t go straight for her lips. Instead he kissed and nipped at her jaw, his tongue tracing a path to her ear. Then he latched onto the skin for several seconds and he kept doing that until he reached her collarbone. Then he stood up straight and looked at her. 

She almost looked like a different person with her rosy cheeks and barely-open eyes. “Mrrmm, yeah,” she said, not sounding very intelligent.

“Do you want more? I’m afraid if I gave you more, you’d be no good for your next final. You need your brain to function.”

“Do I?” She exhaled heavily. “I mean…” She whined like it wasn’t fair. “Yeah, I better not.”

Ulquiorra smiled before he kissed her on the mouth. The hand that was under the blanket wormed its way under the thermal shirt she was wearing and up to the underside of her tits. The backs of his fingers moved over the skin. As soon as he felt her nipple, he let out a shaky breath and rested his forehead against hers.

She was under his spell completely. Everything felt magnified, from the sounds of his breath ringing in her ears to the smell of his skin overpowering her nose and the heat of his breath making her skin and the blood just below the surface feel like it was on fire. She felt it. The chemistry. The wanting. She opened her mouth but found no words, just breathed his breath and waited with her eyes closed, knowing he would back off sooner than later, and definitely sooner than she would like.

“After finals,” he breathed, and his fingers ghosted over the soft skin again. “After finals, Orihime.”

Her eyes opened. Her entrance was knocking and throbbing and he had barely even touched her yet. It took all her willpower to not let her hands turn outward and drift over the front of his pants. She wanted it. She was pretty sure he wanted it. But he was right. If she did that, there would be no sleeping or studying tonight. She finally huffed and pressed her lips to his, closing her eyes again. 

As she broke the kiss and dropped back down to her heels, she whispered, “After finals.”

“Eat, study, sleep. Wednesday, I’ll be back.” He kissed her again and stepped back. His breathing was fast and he sighed. Damn him for being the one who overthought things.

“I’ll be waiting,” she replied in a soft, sweet voice. “I’ll miss you.”

***

The familiar smell that hit him when he walked into Starrk’s later was like a slap to the face; the smell of bar polish and alcohol. It was like coming back to an old friend. It felt almost welcoming until he sat down at the bar and saw Nnoitra coming up to him.

This was not what he needed today. 

“Eyy, Ulquiorra. Long time no see,” Nnoitra drawled as he stopped in front of the man. “Maker’s tonight?”

“Nothing for me,” Ulquiorra replied. Just remembering what the man had done to Orihime brought back memories of that night and how Nnoitra thought he was going to have his way with her. It made his stomach turn and roil. “I need to talk to Starrk. Is he here tonight?”

“Yeah. You sure you don’t want anything?”

Ulquiorra glanced up at Nnoitra, anger rising in his throat like a wave of bile. “I am certain.”

“Yeah, yeah, so how’s Orihime?”

He wasn’t sure what happened, but Ulquiorra found himself on the other side of the bar standing over Nnoitra, who was holding his hand up to his good eye. His hand throbbed with pain. “Do not ever speak her name again. Do you understand?” Ulquiorra spat at the taller man.

There must have been something in his tone or his expression, but Nnoitra nodded. Ulquiorra walked over to the office door and knocked on it. It turned out Starrk wasn’t in that night and he should come back another time or call Starrk, Tier said.

It was strange, he thought as he walked back to his apartment. It was strange that he experienced anger over a woman. It had never happened before. Even when those other women had cheated on him, he had never gotten angry. 

He gave a sigh as soon as he was inside his apartment, releasing the tension in his body in a long exhale. Ulquiorra wanted to make Orihime his and he wanted everyone to know she was his.

He would have to wait, though. She had to focus on her last remaining finals.


	29. Enchiladas

Wednesday showed up and Ulquiorra was in his apartment, making the Mexican dish he had promised Orihime. The recipe he got online was simple. It called for authentic ingredients, which he had to go a bit further for, but enchiladas were happening. He was putting the final layer of cheese on before he texted Orihime.

He texted her three times a day, usually when he was out having a cigarette. He wished her luck every day. She needed it. The woman hadn’t really had a stress-free time the entire duration of them knowing each other. 

When he was done with the dish, He put the cover on the foil pan before sliding the hot container in one of those potluck bags he had bought.

_\- Are you home? I’m driving today. I’d blow away with the wind gusts. LMK_

She had been looking forward to this since he mentioned it on Monday. Despite the absolutely sinking feeling that she didn’t nail her exam earlier that day, she was glad to hear from Ulquiorra, and the promise of seeing him and eating a decent meal buoyed her spirits.

_\- I am. I’ve missed you. I’m hungry, too ;) lol_

He turned off the lights, grabbed the food, and left his apartment. Ulquiorra got into his car, and less than five minutes later, he was at Orihime’s place. The town wasn’t very busy for almost the middle of December. The cold temperatures must have been keeping people inside.

He got out and walked up to her door and buzzed.

She’d been sitting at her desk, watching the street. She was already out the door of her apartment by the time he knocked, and was down in the lobby a few moments later. “You made it!” she cheered, grinning at him. “I missed your face.”

“Hello, Woman. Come; let’s go up. I’m hungry. I haven't eaten yet. I wanted to have dinner with you.” Ulquiorra smiled at her and waited for her to invite him inside.

“Well come up, then,” she said, holding the door open. “I’ll follow you.”

He walked past her, giving her a kiss on the cheek before he got into the still-open elevator with the bag in his hands. “Well, how did today go?”

She swooned a bit and stood by the door for a moment after his kiss, then turned to follow him. “It was okay. I’m sure I passed just fine. I just didn’t nail it, I think. Oh well. I can’t be perfect, right?”

“You at least know the material right? It’s not some class that requires you to make life or death decisions? I was always afraid to be a doctor or a fireman or a police officer because of that stuff. I have to think things through instead of making decisions on the spot,” Ulquiorra said as the elevator door opened. “You’re doing great.”

She met up with him at her door and nodded as she opened it for him. “Thanks, I know. Tomorrow should be easy. I have to describe and defend my artwork before a jury. I’m pretty confident about it,” she admitted.

Ulquiorra smiled. “Are you submitting any drawings of me?” he asked as he went by her again to enter her apartment. There was a clear spot on her stove, where he set the bag down. “I’m kidding; I’m not that shallow to think you’d do that.

She smirked. “Well, you wouldn’t be far off,” she said a bit sheepishly. “They aren’t exactly you, but… Do you want to see?” she offered. “I have pictures on my laptop.”

“If you’d like to show me.” Ulquiorra started taking off his winter gear and laid his coat on a chair before he joined her where her laptop was sitting. “Did you really draw me?”

“A version of you. Well, three versions of you. I didn’t spend all that time watching you just to sketch your eyes on a paper cup, you know,” she said as she tapped on a key to wake the computer up and then entered her password. A few clicks later and a picture appeared on the screen. “There’s the first one,” she said, turning the monitor toward him.

The black and white drawing of him came up. Ulquiorra’s eyes widened as he stared at it. “I look like a demon. You think I’m a demon? I do like the black marks on my face.”

She chuckled. “I don’t think you look like a demon. I think you look like a dark guardian or knight or something. I don’t really know what it’s supposed to be, to be honest, but it’s the piece that inspired all these bats around here,” she said, gesturing to the bat sketches littering the wall. “Ready for the next one?”

“I like it. It shows your imagination when describing an aspect of a person. How many do you have to submit?” he asked.

“Three figures, a still life and a landscape. This is the first figure, and there are two more and they are both of you; apparently you are my favored subject this semester,” she said, slightly embarrassed.

When she showed him the next drawing, Ulquiorra was impressed. The way she used the colors melded nicely together. The way she had depicted herself was excellent. She was so beautiful. He turned and looked at her, taking her chin in almost the same position she had drawn them in. “Is that what you want? You want to undress me and kiss me?” he asked, his tone filled with desire.

“Mmmaybe,” she drew out the word, her cheeks getting pinker.

Tilting his head, Ulquiorra leaned down until his mouth hovered above hers. “Maybe. Hmmm,” he said before smirking and stepping back.

She closed her eyes, smiling widely and shaking her head. He was teasing her. “Okay, here’s the last one of you. The others are not as interesting. Also, don’t freak out about the tone of this piece,” she warned. “It’s not meant to be literal.” She clicked the mouse then and showed the final drawing.

At first he was taken aback by the image, but she said not to take it literally. It showed such longing and despair; like he was trying to hold onto dear life and to her. It was disturbing, but Ulquiorra understood that this was her feelings coming through the art. “This makes me worry,” he said looking at her.

She turned to face him. “What about?”

“I can feel the longing from the image of myself. It’s like I want to chain myself to you or be connected in some way. I can feel the sadness from you. I’m probably reading it wrong but...” Ulquiorra looked at her drawing and then back at her.

She tilted her head to the side, a small smile on her face. She thought he was surely interpreting it wrong, but she wanted to know what he was thinking. “But what?”

“But you said not to take it literally. I’m trying not to let the emotion catch me off guard.”

She smiled at him again. “What emotion is it conjuring in you?”

“Mostly fear and there is something to be lost.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I missed the mark, then. It’s supposed to represent mutual pining and desperate desire; not just of the body but of the heart, and finding solace in another. It’s a bit much, but such is art,” she said to explain away her rawest emotions displayed on the screen.

It was good work regardless. “It’s excellent, Orihime. I like them all; you made yourself so beautiful,” Ulquiorra said.

“They call it artistic license, Ulquiorra. Let me have this!” she teased.

“I would not take it from you. I’m only trying to build you up,” he replied. “Do you have more to show me? You know I like looking at your masterpieces.”

“Well, here’s the landscape,” she said, clicking the mouse again. She wasn’t really interested in his opinion on that one, so she let him look for a minute and then clicked again. “And here’s the still life.”

He smiled at this one, awkwardness lacing his features. “Nice,” he said, looking over the aloe plant. “You know what… That kind of looks like Cole.”

“You named your aloe plant?”

“Cole is my child. I nurture him every day. I talk to him. I give him plant food. So yes, I named my aloe plant.”

“Um, that’s adorable,” she said. “You talk to me everyday and feed me. You gonna give me a name, too?” she teased gently.

“Woman. That’s what I call you,” Ulquiorra said. “Speaking of food… Do you have plates and silverware?”

“Wow. Super personal,” she said, standing and looking down at him where he was bent over, looking at the representation of Cole on the laptop. She put her fingertips on his head and let the nails sink into the swept-back surface carefully, giving his scalp a little scratch, as one would do to a pet, then put her hands on her hips. “And of course I have dishes; I’m not a savage.”

A shaky breath went through him. Desire coursed through his body. The food could wait. Ulquiorra stood up and turned towards Orihime. His gaze was heated, his nostrils flaring slightly. Tonight may be the night that he laid it all out for her. “You’ve just found out a secret,” he growled.

Her brows rose. She rather liked the look in his eyes, but she wasn’t sure what it meant. “What’s that?” she asked.

His pale hands came up and quickly ran through his growing locks of hair. “I like being scratched. There’s something erotic about someone’s fingernails running over my skin. There’s an intimate quality to it.” He took a step towards her and another until he was toe to toe with her. “You don’t know how much I want you; how much I imagine you in my bed and on top of me or under me. There’s nights I can’t sleep because I keep dreaming of you.”

He grabbed a hold of her hips, turned her around and started guiding her to her room.

Oh, well, this was a pleasant surprise. Almost immediately, Orihime felt blood flow and heat in her body. A pleasant buzzing sensation took hold of her mind as she yielded to his guidance. When her knees made contact with her bed, she leaned her back against his body and craned her neck back to look at his face. “What do you do in these dreams?” she whispered.

“Undress you. Touch you. Fuck you. Tease you. Make love to you. Make you scream my name. Make you whimper it,” he answered. He put his hands under her shirt, and with confidence, started sliding the material up.

A shiver ran through Orihime’s body and her breath came out of her all at once. When her shirt was off, she felt a bit breathless and vulnerable, but somehow the words found their own way out when she whispered, “I’ve whimpered it already.”

“Not while I’ve been inside you, you haven’t.” Ulquiorra was taking in her body and how it looked without any barriers to stop him from gazing at it. His eyes slowly drifted up her body and when he locked eyes with Orihime, he grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it over his own head. 

She watched the muscles of his shoulder come into view and felt a slickness growing between her legs. He looked so powerful and nimble. What would he do to her? She felt small and pliant beside him. She wanted to feel her body melt into his hard surface. She leaned back into him again, sighing at the heat of his skin against hers, and reached behind her, putting her hands on the sides of his hips.

He turned her around and pulled her closer to him. She was so soft. She was so warm. Orihime was… luscious. She was an indulgence for him at the moment. Ulquiorra’s hands wandered up her back and he unhooked her bra. He’d been wanting to see her naked chest ever since she had opened his bathroom door with just a towel covering her skin months ago. He had felt them several times. “Are you comfortable?” he asked.

“Yes.” She pressed even closer still. A feeling started creeping up her spine into her consciousness alongside the arousal that was center stage. A soft vulnerability and longing was taking seat beside it. “Ulquiorra, I…” she didn’t know what she wanted to say, exactly.

Taking a step back, he pulled the straps of her bra from her shoulders watching how her flesh came into view. “I want a blind taste test, Orihime,” he said, looking at her face and into her eyes

She saw the hunger in his gaze and mentally melted into a puddle. She gasped softly, then replied, “Close your eyes, then.”

His lips came down on hers before they moved to her jaw and slid down her neck. All he had to do was turn himself and grab Orihime by the waist, sitting down on the bed and perching her on one of his knees. Then he resumed his attack on her neck, letting his teeth scrape down the column of her throat. His hands came up to fondle her tits, fingers splayed out, cupping them. When he finally pulled back, he looked at her with a smoldering gaze.

Orihime’s breaths were coming quickly. It was almost shocking how responsive she was to him. Her expression was slightly glazed over and she blinked slowly, her own hands splaying over his hard chest. 

“I’m not going to stop you,” he murmured to her before kissing her mouth, his tongue teasing the seam. “Touch all you’d like.”

She used her toes to rise up and meet him, her arms snaking around his neck and her breasts molding into his muscles as she opened her mouth to him and whimpered a soft breath into her kiss. 

He growled, wanting something more. Ulquiorra looked at her as he broke the kiss and finally looked at her naked chest. Oh. God. She had no tan lines. She was blemish free. Her nipples were pale pink. He lifted one with his hand as he dipped his head down; tongue swiping over the peak of skin. His teeth also grazed it.

She cried out softly at the contact and arched her spine, offering herself up to him. Her skin rose under his lips and ached with need. She didn’t mean to drag her fingernails down the back of his neck, leaving a markless line from his hairline down to his shoulders, where the tips dug in.

He growled again, mouth latching onto her nipple. His other hand was busy pinching and teasing and feeling her other tit. He had to wonder if she was doing this on purpose. Was she trying to turn him on so much that he would give in and fuck her? His mouth pulled off her body and he gave her an intense gaze. “Stand. Take off the pants, leave your panties on.”

Her skin vibrated with need, but her mind held some reservations. Still, at his command, she stood and peeled her jeans away from her hips, letting them pool at her feet. Her cheeks darkened as she stood before him, and arm crossing in modesty over her stomach, her eyes slightly downcast. She stepped out of the jeans and kicked them to the side a bit and waited.

He started at her feet and his eyes moved up, lingering on her thighs and hips for only a moment before he held out his hand to her, pulling her back into his lap. The other hand went between their bodies and between her legs, stroking the material of her underwear with a lazy pace. Ulquiorra had to exercise some caution. He had to consider the consequences of his actions. “How is this?” he asked, his mouth close to her ear.

She froze; her breath coming in short pants. She knew she was wet. He had to be feeling it. She cringed as her hips followed his fingers on their own accord. Her body was so willing and her mind felt weak. “It feels good,” she whispered, burying her hot face in his neck and breathing on his skin. 

“You do feel good,” he replied. Applying a bit more pressure, Ulquiorra could feel the dampness against his hand. The material was wet. A groan left his mouth as his fingers ran along her slit. “Fuck, I think I could come from just doing this to you,” he whispered. 

Oh god, the thought of him being that aroused by her switched something on in her. She took a deep breath through her nose, smelling his hot, soft, organic smell, laced with traces of the soap she had borrowed in his shower, tobacco smoke, and coffee. She loved these smells. She wanted to taste them. She opened her mouth and lapped a slow line along the tendon that spanned the distance between the hollow of his throat to his pulse point, which she kissed and suckled on gently. She kissed her way up to his earlobe, mouthing his stretched piercings with her lips, and then traced the outer shell with the tip of her tongue before whispering, “You taste good,” into his ear.

“Hnnngh,” he whined. “I’m going to get you off. I want our first time to be special. Not just hormones running high. I could fuck you right now.” Ulquiorra was just babbling. He was painfully hard and felt like he was out of control. He wasn’t thinking as his fingers moved the fabric to the side and his skin felt bare flesh. His brain went blank of any thought and a small noise emitted from his throat, sounding choked. He had never choked when being with a woman before. For a second, his fingers were still before he realized what he needed to be doing. He resumed caressing her.

Her legs tensed at the contact, and again she clung to his neck. She knew it wouldn’t take long for her to fall apart. The skin of her thigh made contact with the seam of his fly and she felt his hardness underneath. It wasn’t fair. She wanted to touch him, too. She wanted to give him relief. “Okay,” she whimpered in a tight voice, “But only if I can help you when it’s done.”

“Orihime,” he breathed. “If I take my pants off, I’m going to bury myself in you. I have very little self-control when it comes to you. Just… move against me.” Ulquiorra took a deep breath as her hips moved the first time. His thumb switched places with his fingers, applying pressure to her clit. When she moved again, he started moving his thumb in slow circles.

She held on for dear life, grinding against his bulge and fighting off the orgasm that was so ready to blow. She picked her face up off his neck and latched onto his mouth, panting hard through her nose in muted whines and running her tongue along his.

He gripped one of her thighs with his free hand as she rocked against him. All his brain was thinking was fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. That’s the only thing he could think. As her pace picked up, so did his, thumb moving faster against the top of that bundle of nerves. He felt his body tensing. He was getting ready to come. It was too soon! He wanted to tease her more. He wanted to have her dripping against his hand.

Her lungs were burning. She broke their kiss with a loud gasp and then pressed her forehead against his, her hands on his cheeks, jaws and neck; the tips of their noses touching. Her whines came out a bit louder and closer together as she started to lose control. “Ul— Ull— Ulquiorra, I’m— I’m— I’m gonna—“ she bit her lip and winced as a high pitched whimper squeaked its way out of her throat. “Please, Ulquiorra,” she cried out when she released her lip, her entire body trembling as she began to fall apart, rocking desperately against him.

Fuck. Oh god. Jesus. He huffed as he tried to hold on. Already his dick was twitching and pulses ran through the length. He could hold on. He could--A loud and obscene moan echoed in his own ears as his hips jerked against her, burying his face in her neck. He still kept up the movements of his hand but they were less coordinated. “Fuck,” he growled.

She felt him arc and break and gave up her fight, letting the rush of electric sting overtake her. Her throat constricted and she squealed quietly, huffing his name over and over as she rode out her climax, finally crumpling in his lap and letting out a long, tortured whine. 

“Ulquiorra,” she said in a soft, sweet, breathy timbre after a few moments of silence passed. She sounded awfully innocent after what had just happened.

“Woman?” he breathed. It took him a moment to bring his hand away from her and fix her underwear back to the previous position. “Are you okay?”

She huffed a small laugh. “Ruined is more like it.” She pulled her head back to see his face. He looked gorgeous; all swollen-lipped and covered in the dew of exertion. An intimate smile blossomed on her face as his eyes met hers. “Are you okay?” She asked, her head tilting slightly.

“Absolutely fine. Just… Wow. I’ve never really done anything like that and--” he took a deep breath before he kissed her. “You’ve bewitched me, Orihime.”

Her cheeks appled and eyes squinted as her smile broadened. “What do you mean by that?” she asked before pecking the tip of his nose with her lips.

Ulquiorra’s face colored slightly. “I’m smitten with you,” he replied.

She nodded. “Same,” she murmured before dipping her lips to his and kissing him gently, lingering there with their hot, sensitized lips pressed together lightly, and stealing a bit of his breath before pulling back. 

He smiled at her and then lifted her off his lap to sit beside him. “I’m going to use the bathroom and I’ll be right back so we can eat, if you want.”

She nodded. “Let me know if you need anything. A plastic bag, perhaps?”

Ulquiorra gave her a nod as he stood. He walked into the bathroom. He was surprised; he had expected a worse mess than what he had made. Still, he couldn’t walk around with messy boxers. He took off his boots and then slid the jeans down his legs before peeling off the boxers. The smell of his arousal hit him. It was crazy that he lost control like that. Orihime had caused him to throw logic to the wind. 

It was something he wanted to do. It was not something he had planned to do.

Still, he would do it all over again and again. He had gotten a taste of her. Ulquiorra wanted more. After he redressed, he used her shower to rinse his underwear out. He rung them out and hung them up to drip dry. They would stay there until he left. 

He emerged several minutes later. “That was unexpected,” he commented as he saw Orihime.

She stood in the middle of the room, tying a robe onto her body. She turned to face him and asked, “Was it? I guess the timing was, wasn’t it?”

He shook his head. “No, it’s not that. You need to focus on finals. I’m being a distraction and I will continue to be a distraction.” Ulquiorra walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist. “It’ll be more intense the moment you are done with the semester.”

A soft nod and hummed agreement. She was starting to retreat into her mind a bit. Questions were popping up. She decided to ask the easiest one. “Are you ready to eat?”

He nodded, but something seemed off. “Are you sure you want me here?”

“Yes. Sorry, sometimes I get a little quiet and contemplative after… After. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong,” she answered, leaning into him.

Ah. He could understand that line of thinking; the same thing happened to him. “I want to be here with you,” he said, hugging her. “Why don’t you get plates and forks, and I will dish it up?”

So she did. She even set up placemats on her coffee table; she didn’t have a dining table. “Sorry for the humble digs,” she said as he brought the food over. “It’s not a luxurious lifestyle, but it suits me fine.”

“Your humble digs are fine. I’m the one who is extra and over the top,” Ulquiorra said with a small smile as he set the plates down on the table. He looked around for his shirt. “I should get redressed, but sitting here with just my jeans and socks on seems… Did you want to say anything about--you know? I mean was it good? Too much? Did I overstep any boundaries?”

She shook her head. “I guess I…” She blushed really hard and wore an awkward smile. “It was really good, but I hope you are not judging me right now. I kind of feel like I’ve been thrown into the deep end.”

He shook his head, too. “No, I only judge people for what they order in my shop. Since you are neither a minter nor a pumpkin spice bitch, I won’t judge you. I judge Grimmjow because he’s a salted caramel bitch,” Ulquiorra said to her. “Orihime, before we have sex… I know that you’ve slept with Grimmjow and didn’t use protection. It’s kind of his calling card. He’s fucked numerous women that way. You should be tested, unless you’ve already had it done. I’m only suggesting this for your own safety.”

The color drained from Orihime’s face. Of course. Of course she hadn’t meant anything special to her ex… She was just one in a line of women that Grimmjow led on and fucked raw. She had been an idiot with him. “Oh,” she swallowed. “Well, actually, when I went away, I was tested twice. Everything came back clear,” she informed him.

“I recently got tested after Rangiku. I’m clean,” he said, giving her a meaningful look. “If we are going to do this, I want us to be truthful with each other. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “What do you want to know?”

“How many people have you had intercourse with?”

“Two,” she answered immediately.

Ulquiorra swallowed. Anger flashed through him. Grimmjow was an absolute asshole, then. He had used Orihime. “I’ve had about eight partners. None of them were really long term,” he said as he stared at the table. “No, I did not sleep with Luppi.”

Orihime nodded. “It would not have changed anything if you had, I think. My relationship with Grimmjow was the longest. My first relationship was only almost four months long”

He gave a tight smile. “About the same. Sung-Sun was almost four months and then I found out Grimmjow had been sleeping with her for the last month of it. It’s safe to assume you’re not into any weird kinks or fetishes?”

“No… I don’t really know about that kind of thing. Do you?”

“Yes.” Ulquiorra looked uncomfortable. “Nothing extreme. Just blindfolding my lover, teasing them until they can’t take it. That kind of thing.”

Orihime’s brows flashed but otherwise dampened her reaction. “Oh. Um…” She considered her next question. 

He stared at her. “Are there things you don’t like?”

“I don’t like pain. You?”

Ulquiorra shook his head. “Nothing really bothers me,” he replied and gave her another smile.

The sight of it made her brain lag. Here was this obscenely hot, shirtless guy in her apartment, and she was having a hard time focusing on the task at hand, which at this point was eating dinner. She stuck her fork into the dish he set in front of her and took a bite. Her eyes closed and she moaned, her inflection rising into a quiet squeal as she chewed. After she swallowed, her eyes opened and she looked at him with a dreamy grin.

Just a hint of his teeth showed as he watched her. The moan made him shift in his seat. He licked his lips before he cut a bite of the enchilada. “Is it good?” he asked.

“So good. I would buy your services full time, if I could afford you,” she said before taking another bite. “What is that in there, scallions?”

“Yeah and lots of garlic, chicken, poblanos...” Ulquiorra replied before he took a bite. It was really good. He chewed slowly. The cheese just made the entire thing. “If I have my way, you won’t need to buy my services.”

“No?” she asked, smiling at him as she chewed.

Ulquiorra sighed and took another bite. He thought about his words carefully. “I hoped it was obvious that I am taking steps to show you that I am a better partner than Grimmjow was,” he finally said.

Her smile gentled slightly, congruent with the serious nature of his sentiment. She swallowed and looked him in the eyes for a moment, willing the swelling emotions in her throat to calm somewhat. Finally she nodded. “It’s working.”

That gave him some hope. She wasn’t all oblivious to him. “So, any other questions?”

“In time,” she answered. She wanted to keep eating but she was feeling too much. She got up and walked behind where he sat in the side chair, putting her hands on his shoulders and sliding them down his bare chest, dropping her head to kiss his cheek. “Oh! I have one. What do you want for Christmas?”

In time? He raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he pressed the side of his face against hers. “I need nothing. I want nothing--well… I want to spend time with you. That’s it,” he said quietly. “What about you? What would you like for Christmas?”

“Same.” She squeezed him. “And maybe a mixtape.”


	30. A Pleasant Mouthfeel

As soon as she got out of her last exam, she walked out of the building and cried tears of joy. She had done it. Barring any exam failures, which she did not anticipate, she had done it. She would be graduating on the eighteenth. 

She decided to risk running into the blonde menace and went directly to Coffee & Sadness to celebrate, texting Ulquiorra on the way.

_\- I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

He was standing at the counter, ringing up orders, when he felt his phone buzz. After the customer was taken care of, he checked his messages, smiling when he saw it was Orihime.

_\- I’m proud of you! Come into the shop and you can have a freebie. Lol._

Ulquiorra put his phone in his pocket and then turned to look at Rangiku. “There’s some business in the office you need to attend to,” he said. 

The blonde woman huffed and rolled her eyes before she left the front of the coffee shop.

It was only about two and a half minutes later that the bell on the door chimed and the redhead floated through the door with an inextinguishable grin on her face. She caught Ulquiorra’s eye and couldn’t hold back a tiny fist pump and squeal as she trotted down the few stairs toward the line.

As soon as she reached the counter, she stared up at Ulquiorra. She was practically vibrating in her excitement. She bit down on both lips to stop herself from shouting, but smiled through her buttoned lips and whined through her nose with a happy little sound.

He gave her a one-sided grin. “What can I get for you Miss Inoue?” he asked. It was nice to see her so happy.

She released her lips and said, “Coffee and happiness!” before grabbing one of his wrists and squeezing. She was on top of the world and apparently her brain lagged with the altitude. 

A full smile covered his face. Ulquiorra tapped in her order of a peanut butter hot chocolate and a cookie and comped it before he moved to put Ethan on the register. “Come down to the pick up counter,” he told Orihime before he got her order together.

She walked over to the pick up counter, giving the patrons who were already waiting there some space until they left, and then leaned over it, trying to be as close to the action behind the counter as possible. She hummed along with the song playing on the speaker system and even sang a random lyric here and there as she waited.

It didn’t take long for Ulquiorra to have her order and several more orders ready. He passed them out to customers, saving Orihime’s for last. “One delicious hot chocolate and a cookie for my lovely graduate girlfriend.”

Her grin gentled a bit and her eyebrows rose as she placed her hands over his, which were still on the items he had made for her. “Girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend, unless you are protesting.”

She shook her head as her face slowly heated. “No protests here,” she finally managed to say. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears.

“Good. Tonight I would like to take you out. Nothing fancy, unless you want it, but you deserve to celebrate this big achievement. What do you say?” Ulquiorra asked, looking at the redhead. “I get off work here in a half hour.”

“I’d love that. What should I wear? Is this drinks? Dinner?” Her excitement and happiness - and now a slight bit of nervousness - were making her anxious, but in a pleasant way.

Ulquiorra shrugged. “I was thinking of a nice Japanese restaurant and maybe a bottle of wine?” the words came out as a question instead of a statement. “It’s your celebration, tell me what you want.”

She tipped her chin up to the ceiling for a moment, then brought her face back down to his with a wide grin. “That sounds absolutely perfect. Oh, I can’t wait,” she said, her body wiggling from side to side. “I am so excited. I can’t stop,” she offered as a kind of apology for her behavior. She wasn’t really sorry, she just knew it was weird.

Shaking his head, Ulquiorra leaned over the counter and gave her a quick peck on the lips, then went back to the register. He had some words with Ethan before he clocked out. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” he said as he came around the counter and walked over to Orihime.

“Quitting time already?” she asked as she turned to meet him with her hot chocolate and cookie in hand. “Do you want to come over and help me pick out my outfit?” she offered in jest.

“Is that all you want me to come over and do?” Ulquiorra asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “It’s your day today. You’ve gone through a lot in the past year.”

Her grin gentled into a sly smile as her gaze fell from his eyes to his lips and then down his neck and chest before reluctantly dragging them back up, biting her lip a bit. “Well, if you want to go up and get a change of clothes, I can have my goodies and then we can go to my place and have some boyfriend and girlfriend time. Interested?”

Ulquiorra nodded and led her up to his place.

***

They went out to dinner, and when they were driving back to his place, Ulquiorra grabbed her hand. “Do you want to spend the night with me?”

She was surprised at the invitation. “Do you want me to? I don’t mind,” she said with rising inflection.

Ulquiorra glanced at her before he focused on the road. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t. I think we should spend your first night of freedom celebrating.”

She grinned and then bit on her lips. “I think that’s a great idea, Ulquiorra,” she said and gave his hand a squeeze. She looked out the window and saw her reflection in the rearview mirror. She almost didn’t recognize herself. She looked so happy. Her heart fluttered and she looked back at Ulquiorra’s profile. He was a big reason for the look on her face, she realized, and released a happy sigh.

He heard the sigh. “Is it too soon to ask you to spend the night?” he asked in a worried tone.

“No. I was just thinking about, um, that I’m really, really happy right now. Like to an almost ridiculous degree,” she said with a quiet giggle.

“You deserve happiness, Orihime. You’ve been through a lot in the past eighteen months,” Ulquiorra gave her a smile before he turned into the alley behind Coffee & Sadness. He got out and waited for Orihime before they entered the building. “Does it bother you to be happy?”

She got out of the car and gave him a curious look. She paused and then shook her head, coming to his side and sliding a hand between his arm and his body. “From time to time it makes me think. Like, I’m not used to it. It feels foreign, or like I’m stealing it. Am I? I don’t know. But today I don’t care about that. I did a big thing today. We, um, did a big thing today. I don’t think anything could bring me down.”

“We did a big thing?” He was teasing her. “I guess getting out of bed was a big thing. Or bitching at Ran for making your order wrong.”

Orihime smirked. “Well, you know, she’s been doing this for a long time. You’d think she would know how to make the thing I ordered,” she teased, poking him in the ribs gently and smiling up at his face. “We did a big thing, I think,” she murmured softly after that.

Ulquiorra squirmed away from her but gave her a smile. “Oh, you mean the fact that I claimed you were my girlfriend? You’ve always been my girlfriend. You just refused to acknowledge this while with asshat.”

She stopped and looked at him with a disbelieving smile. “Are you serious? Since when?”

He turned his head when he felt resistance. “Since we both came back. The moment you walked into my shop in September.”

Her eyes narrowed and she shook her head and started walking again. “I wasn’t with asshat then. I was with you.” She chuckled quietly and added, “I was with you in spirit for longer than that, and you know it.”

Ulquiorra nodded. “I know. C’mon, I want to show you something.”

She followed him up the stairs. “So, what are you going to show me?”

He didn’t answer until they reached the third floor. “Something I think you need. I want to take this further… what we have.”

Her excitement became a bit withdrawn and nervous, but she didn’t hate it. “How much further?” she asked after swallowing.

“I want to do something I’ve only done to one other woman before you,” Ulquiorra replied. He opened his apartment door and went in, waiting for Orihime. “I want you, Orihime.”

Her skin started buzzing as she followed him in, stepping out of her shoes. “Um, same,” she said on a shaky breath, and waited for him to take the lead.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Ulquiorra had her pressed against it. He bent his head down and kissed her, meeting her lips with a slight urgency. The tension inside of his body had been building since they had fooled around in her apartment days ago. He kept squashing it down because the time had never been right. It felt right now.

His hands came up, fingertips running up and down the column of her neck. “I meant what I said to you when we were in that candle shop. I’m falling for you.”

She shook under his hands, the weight of his words actually giving her a boost of confidence as she pressed her lips up to his. She opened her mouth and slipped her tongue between his lips as her fingers slid up the sides of his arms until they rested on his shoulders. She broke the kiss a moment later and looked into his eyes, her expression a bit serious. “I’ve _been_ falling for you, Ulquiorra. It’s mutual. You asked me in September if you could try to make me fall in love with you. I told you then.”

He kissed her again with more urgency. Ulquiorra broke their kiss seconds later before he took a step back from her. He flung his jacket off his arms. His long sleeved t-shirt came over his head and then he stared at Orihime. “Good.”

Oh dear god. Oh dear fuck. He was looking at her like there was nothing else in the world. It made blood pool between her legs and her breath come in shallower draws. She slowly took her coat off and let it fall to the floor. Her sweater was next, and then she started on the zipper of her skirt. “Should I?” she asked, not wanting to put him off if that wasn’t what he had in mind.

A single nod was all he gave her before he took off his boots, then unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, but they stayed up on his hips and thighs. “In the bedroom. I want you to be comfortable.” 

She held onto the side of her skirt and led the way to his bedroom, taking quick but careful steps. When she got to the door she stopped and stood to the side for him to lead her in. She didn’t want to appear vulgar, so she showed some restraint, but ever since their rendezvous in her apartment earlier that week, she had been itching for him to touch her again. She was eager.

He took Orihime by the hips and led her through the open doorway and into his bedroom. Ulquiorra took her hands and placed them on his chest while he watched the fabric that surrounded her hips and thighs fall down to the floor. Half-lidded eyes came up then, to look into Orihime’s. “If you need or want to stop, just tell me, okay?” he offered.

Her cheeks were pink when she responded, “I don’t want you to stop, but thanks.” Her eyes dropped to her hands on his chest, her fingertips spreading and pressing into it as she took a deep, difficult breath that pressed her breasts up against her bra cups, making her shiver. She looked back up into his eyes and took a step back towards his bed.

Ulquiorra followed her, matching Orihime step for step. Once they reached the bed, he gave her a little push so that she fell back onto the surface. As her body stilled, the green-eyed man sunk between her legs.

Orihime craned her neck to watch what he was doing. She was pretty sure she knew what he was going to try to do, but she couldn’t know one hundred percent. The lower he sunk, the higher she rose her upper body off the mattress. She didn’t want to miss a thing.

As soon as his knees hit the floor, Ulquiorra’s hands came up to Orihime’s hips, where her panties sat, fingers hooking under the material. He started slowly inching them down, but then stopped and sat up slightly to kiss the redhead’s stomach. “You’re beautiful,” he murmured.

She whimpered at his words, feeling emotions surface through the lustier thoughts that were clouding her mind at the moment. “So are you,” she whispered back, nostrils flaring. She meant it.

He gave a smirk before he went back to taking off her underwear and kissing the skin he exposed. As soon as they were off her legs, Ulquiorra spread her thighs open and looked. Her skin was unblemished. He could feel the heat from her already as his hand smoothed over soft skin. He could smell that heady scent of her arousal. His cock twitched as he thought about tasting her. “Orihime,” he breathed before swiping his thumb through the folds.

A soft, high-pitched whine answered him, then she replied, “Do you have any idea how sexy you look down there?” 

“Same question to you. Do you like seeing me between your thighs? You should prop yourself up so you can watch what I am going to do to you,” Ulquiorra replied, repeating the touch several times. 

She nodded, a slightly agonized look on her face as she grabbed around for pillows and the blanket, setting them up behind her, so that if she lost her strength she could still watch. 

“Oh good. I like taking my time. I like seeing how my touch affects you. I like seeing how you look when I’m driving you to that peak of pleasure. I want to know what makes you tick and how I can turn you on with the littlest things.” His eyes were glued to her pussy and what his fingers were doing. Seeing the pink of her skin come into view was an erotic sight for him, and he scooted closer, rubbing her clit up and down. Ulquiorra looked up at her, a small smile on his face.

“You’re going to ruin me, aren’t you?” she asked, raising a brow at him. The only person that she had received head from before was Grimmjow, and it was good. But Grimmjow was a selfish lover in general. Orihime was quickly learning that Ulquiorra was not.

“Ruin you? For other men, perhaps. If there is anyone after me, he won’t be able to compare to me,” he said, sounding smug. “I’m going to make you mine in every way I can, Orihime.” With that, Ulquiorra brought his lips down and started kissing his way up and down her slit. He didn’t force it apart. He just used his mouth to gather her wetness so that he could taste her. He pulled back and licked his lips. His green eyes never left her face.

She whimpered when he pulled back. “Is something wrong?” She was almost sure that if he stopped, she was going to have a very hard time explaining why she went on to fuck herself without him.

“No. I’m just savoring you. I promise I love it.” This time when he lowered his head, his tongue darted out, lapping at her with long drags. Fuck, she tasted good. 

She screeched, her legs tensing at the contact. Ulquiorra didn’t do things halfway. “Oh, oh god,” she groaned, fighting to keep her eyes open.

He hummed against her as he sucked on her clit. He backed off for a moment then started licking her again. She was hot and wet. His cock was aching as he teased her entrance with two fingers. “You okay?” He asked in a low growl.

“Mmhmm,” she cried. “Ulquiorra… You…” Her head fell back with a groan. “You keep doing that and… Oh my god.”

His fingers slid inside of her, slowly feeling each inch of skin that he could. God. Orihime’s body felt like it was made for him. His gaze drifted to her face and he continued to tongue that tiny bundle of nerves. 

It wasn’t going to make him wait for long, either. Her passage flooded quickly, soaking his fingers to the last knuckle and then began to tug on them as it tightened. “Oh, Ulquiorra,” she moaned, her ass tensing and releasing as she chased what he was giving her. 

He continued humming as he ate her out and fingered her. He could hear how wet she was. He could hear his tongue flick against her. When her juices started dripping off his hand he knew it was about time. Ulquiorra curled the fingers inside of her and started moving them faster and faster. She was going to come on him. He could feel it. He wanted it. 

A squeal that started in the middle of her range and rose steadily in pitch wound its way out of her throat and broke with a desperate gasp as her walls clamped down on his fingers. “Ulquiorra!” she chanted as her breath came in quick pants. Her pulse wooshed in her ears as a blinding explosion of pleasure overtook her. The tension in her limbs broke and she became limp in his care.

“Ulquiorra…” she whined after the tremors subsided. She had become a puddle.

“Hmmm?” He withdrew his hand from between her legs and stood up, his erection evident in his jeans. He smiled at Orihime before he licked the moisture off of his fingers. “Congrats on graduating college, Woman.” 

She closed her eyes and panted for a bit, and couldn’t really respond, but after a few moments she opened her eyes and smiled. “Wow, um, you could make a woman want to go back to school and graduate again,” she said with a chuckle.

“I’d rather not wait another four years to fuck you,” he replied as sat down next to her. “Did I do okay?”

“Okay? _Okay_?! Ulquiorra… That was, um… Do they have words for that in English?” she asked with a breathy laugh. “If you asked me for anything right now I would give it to you.”

A soft chuckle came from his throat. “All I ask of you right now is your time. I want you here with me tonight,” he said, resting a hand on her stomach. “That’s all I want.”

Her eyes glanced at his hips. She had seen how hard he was before he sat down. “Are you sure?”

He nodded. “I’m saving myself for a special occasion… Christmas sex with you.” Ulquiorra smirked.

Her face tilted slightly as an affectionate smile took over her face. “Really? That is… That is adorable.” She got up on an elbow and reached for his neck, pulling him down to kiss her. Her scent on his lips made her skin tingle and constrict, and she took a fast, involuntary breath through her nose as their lips were pressed together. After the kiss was broken, she blushed deeply and fell into a fit of giggles, covering her eyes for a moment. When she finally got her composure back, she looked at him through her fingers. It was obvious that under her hands there was a huge, idiotic grin on her face. Then she said, “No wonder Rangiku hates me.”

A look of confusion flashed over his face after her laughing spell. Then one of Ulquiorra’s thick brows rose into an arch. “Huh? What?” As realization dawned on him, he started laughing. “Oh no. No. No. It wasn’t Rangiku. Rangiku never deserved something like that from me. It was my first girlfriend,” he explained.

That idiotic grin gentled, and her hand found his as she smiled at him fondly. “I see,” she said, then carefully got up and scooted as close to him as her hips allowed and wrapped her arms around his body. “Well, I’m glad I’m your girlfriend, now.”

“As I stated before, you’ve always been my girlfriend, you just refused to acknowledge that,” he said, stroking her back gently. “I’m kidding, of course. I’m glad you’re mine now, too.”

“So…” she began, not sure where to go from here. “Do you want to stay up for a while and do something, or did you want to just rest?” she asked before tipping her face up to kiss his jaw. She wasn’t overly sensual with it. He had clearly set a boundary, and she didn’t want to push him tonight, but she wanted to be affectionate.

Ulquiorra gave a content sigh. “I’m okay with us just laying here, if you want to do that,” he answered. “We’ve had an exciting day. It’s nice to just be with you and relax.”

She smiled against his skin, a warm puff of air bathing his neck as she did. “I agree. I’m going to go to the bathroom and then I’ll be right back. Question though,” she said, backing up a bit to see his face.

“Hmmm?” he hummed and then stared at her. “What is this question?”

“Is this a pajamas house or not? Because I didn’t bring any.”

Another smile graced his mouth. Ulquiorra sat up. “I actually have a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt you can wear.”

***

Orihime woke up in the middle of the night, curled up with her head on Ulquiorra’s arm and her face buried in his chest. A side lamp had been left on, and in its dim light she was able to see the tattoo on his chest as her eyelids fluttered open. She placed a soft kiss on it before rolling away to turn off the light.

She smiled as she felt his arms tighten around her body while she grasped for the pull that would turn off the light. She barely got it switched off before he rolled over onto his back, pulling her with him. Orihime kissed his cheek and nestled her face into the crook of his neck, half of her body draped over his, before slowly drifting back to sleep with a smile on her lips, her mind filled with warm, peaceful thoughts of him, and them, and more nights like this one.

He wasn’t used to sleeping with anyone, but having her in his bed was a comfort. He felt her shift during the night. Automatically, Ulquiorra thought Orihime was leaving, so he held onto her. A content sigh left him as he felt her kiss him.

Then it was morning. His alarm was going off. He groaned as he gently untangled himself from the woman who was curled around him. This was a nice way to wake up; a nice way to start the day. “Orihime, I have to go to work,” he said to her sleepy form.

“Work schmerk,” she grumbled and burrowed deeper into his body for a moment, inhaling his scent and waiting for her own body to wake up.

“I’ll clock out early and we can hang out. I have to go meet the delivery people. I need to take a shower. I never took one last night, and I cannot sign for produce smelling like you. I don’t mind it, but I don’t want anyone else to know what that scent is like,” Ulquiorra said to her as he wrapped his arms around her.

She chuckled into the side of his body and groaned, finally bringing her face up for air. “Fine. You are that secretive?” she asked, smirking at him with sleepy eyes.

He shook his head. “No, you simply are for my pleasure until you decide otherwise. I don’t mean just bodily pleasure either.”

That intrigued her. “What other pleasures?” she asked, kissing his chin and then his lips before she found his eyes again.

A smirk crossed his face. “Well,” he said before yawning. “You’re mentally stimulating. You seem to respect my boundaries. You don’t tire me out needlessly.”

“Well, let’s hope that continues,” she said, pushing up on her palms and looking down at him. He looked more relaxed than she had ever seen him, and her heart skipped a beat. “Wow,” she said softly, smiling and closing her eyes at how transparent she was.

“I know I look horrible in the morning.” He laughed as he looked back at her. Ulquiorra scooted into a sitting position and then swung his legs over the side of the bed. “I’ll be right back.”

And he was. His morning routine took less than ten minutes and he was back in his bedroom with a towel around his waist, getting ready for work. He gave Orihime a glance before he whipped the towel off and pulled a pair of boxers over his legs and thighs. “So what are your plans for today, Miss Inoue?”

She blinked. She had been looking, and an eyeful she had received. “Um, uh…” she floundered for words for a moment. “Um, I was going to meet with Kuchiki’s assistant about the second leg of my book tour. It isn’t going to be until the new year, but they want to get the details sorted out before they close for the holidays,” she said.

He opened the closet and disappeared only to return several moments later with his work uniform. “Do you like doing the book tours? Was it fun for you?” he asked as he continued to get dressed.

“I like the reading bit and talking to people about the book. The traveling and waiting around part is kind of meh, unless it’s in a cool place and when my aunt visited. She says hi, by the way.”

“Hello, Aunt Kathy,” he said before he started putting on his tie. Once he was finished, he looked at Orihime. “Okay, I’m all ready. You’re welcome to stay up here, but before you leave, make sure you have everything or you’ll have to come get my key from me. The door automatically locks behind me.”

“Right. I remember that from when I crashed here before. I’ll probably roll around in your sheets and turn myself into a burrito for about ten more minutes, and then start getting ready for the day. Um… this is embarrassing, but, um… Do you have any plastic bags? For laundry?”

Ulquiorra rubbed the back of his neck and then shook his head. “If you need to do laundry, my washer and dryer are in my closet over there.”

She blushed hard. “Um, no, I only have one thing that is dirty, so it would be a waste to run a load,” she said with a nervous chuckle.

Again he shook his head but chuckled. “Sorry, I might have a gallon freezer bag around but no, like, plastic shopping bags.”

She smiled. “Well, I could just throw them away, it’s not like they are worth as much as a freezer bag…” she shook her head and laughed. “I’m sure I can do some kind of origami otherwise. Don’t worry about it. Are you going to be making coffee this morning?” she asked, changing the subject.

He had turned to leave the room but stopped. “I will have a cup of coffee ready for you and maybe a muffin or a bagel. I’ll make it myself. No mistakes this time.”

She got out of bed and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She smiled up at his face and grinned before pecking his lips with a brief kiss. “Okay, I will be there soon. Have a good morning,” she said.

His face got hot as he blushed. Ulquiorra kissed her back and then went out into the living area to get his boots on. He grabbed his wallet, phone and keys before he left the apartment. Once the door shut behind him, he grinned to himself. Maybe he could do this whole relationship thing. Seeing Orihime’s face looking so happy was important to him.

She stood there in his room until the door shut, and then she squealed to herself and flung her body back down on the bed, kicking and rolling back and forth, completely giddy. After she finally calmed down a few minutes later, she took a deep breath and went to the bathroom. She went through her morning routine, cleaning her face and combing through her hair with her fingers, then redressing in her clothes from the day before, laughing at herself when she forgot that she had left her sweater by the front door. 

She put it on as she stood in the entryway and then looked around his apartment from where she stood. It was a large open space, and as she took it all in, she felt like she was looking at another piece of him. That he trusted her with it felt significant. She nodded to herself as she went back to his bedroom and made the bed before finding her soiled panties and folding them up into a tiny ball, wrapping them in some tissues, and stuffing them into her purse before making her way downstairs, about forty minutes after he had left.

Ulquiorra had already signed for the produce delivery and helped Ethan with baked goods. Coffee beans had been ground and there was the hot chocolate mixture being melted in a coffee urn. Ever since Orihime had advertised all those months ago, he had people coming in all the time for the different flavors of hot chocolate that the shop produced. All that needed to be done was to make the cheese sandwiches to put in the refrigerator. He was in the process of doing that when he heard the door to the apartments open. “Ethan? Can you finish these sandwiches? I’ve got something important to do.”

“Yeah, go ahead.” 

Orihime heard the men’s voices as they worked, and opened the door that led to the shop quietly. She walked through and watched for a minute, not wanting to disturb anything. It felt a bit to her like being backstage at a concert or something; an enjoyable experience, but one she knew to not interfere with.

Ulquiorra could feel her eyes on him. As soon as Orihime came into view, his gaze went to her. “I see you made it,” he said to her.

“I did. Hope I’m not getting in the way,” she said, approaching him.

“You’re never in the way. What would my lady like for breakfast this morning?” he asked.

She blushed and smiled at him. “I heard something about bagels this morning? Maybe it was just a dream I had though,” she said, staying on the customer side of the counter and watching him work.

Ulquiorra had her coffee already made with just a splash of skim milk. He grabbed a bagel out of the display case and had it sliced open and put in the toaster before she could finish her sentence. “Cream cheese? We have three different kinds.”

“Regular, please,” she said, then glanced over at Ethan, who smiled at her. She smiled back and then returned her gaze to Ulquiorra. “It’s weird being here before you open,” she said.

“Why?” the green eyed man asked as he reached into the refrigerator for the cream cheese. He turned and looked at her. “Because you get the freshest of the fresh? Or seeing Ethan with bedhead?”

“Hey!” Ethan complained.

She laughed. “Looks organic, Ethan. It’s marketable,” she said to the younger man before looking back at her boyfriend. “It’s weird because it’s like I have a backstage pass to the big show.”

There was some snickering from the men. “No big show here,” Ulquiorra said. He finished Orihime’s order and then brought it over to where she stood. “My payment is that you have a good and productive day.”

She picked up the items and nodded. “Yes sir,” she said with a determined expression. “I’ll get out of your hair, then?” she asked, eyeing the door.

“I’ll text you later on my break. Let me know what’s going on. I know you’re going to want to go home and change--”

“Hold up, did she stay at your place?” Ethan asked. His face broke out into a wild looking smile. “Oh my god!”

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes and then shook his head. “I’ll see you later, Woman.”

She glanced at his employee and waited until his back was turned before darting her hand out to Ulquiorra’s vest and pulling him down for a quick kiss. “I’ll see you,” she said and left.

There were catcalls as Orihime walked away and out of the door, Ulquiorra turned and glared at Ethan. “Get to work.”


	31. Just Like Heaven

Orihime had a short wait for a cab to show up and then went home to clean up and get ready for the day. When she got home, she decided to first take a short nap. After waking and refreshing herself, she went to her meeting, and texted Ulquiorra when she was done.

  * Done! Meeting went well. I’ll tell you about it when I see you. I’m going shopping but I’m free otherwise.



She felt a bit overeager and cringed as she reread her text. Oh well.

A few minutes later, a reply was sent back.

  * I’m at work until 2pm. I have to go shopping too. 



She smiled as she got into her car, then read the message and decided to stop over to get a cup of coffee before going on her errands.

  * I’m going to stop over for some hot chocolate first.



She got out of her car, relocked the door, and went across the street. She opened the door and the first person she saw was Ethan. She shook her head and smirked at him a bit as she blushed and got into line.

“Yo, Ulquiorra! Your woman is here,” Ethan called out.

A few moments went by before the green-eyed man emerged from the work room. He was wiping his hands on a towel. Ulquiorra nodded at Orihime before he slipped from behind the counter and walked over to her. “Hey,” he said.

“Hi,” she greeted him with a smile. “I decided to get a drink to go before I braved the world of commerce. And… You know… You’re here, so…”

He smiled at her. It was a nice thought. “Well, you know, I’m always here,” Ulquiorra said. “Did you want regular hot chocolate or mint hot chocolate?”

Her nostrils flared. “Regular, please. If Susan was around I would ask you for a Minter special, but she’s out on a call.” She looked to the side for a moment to think. “Maybe I can meet up with you while you’re shopping later?”

“What? No basic bitch behaviors today? I’m joking,” he said. “I’m going to the mall later, so if you want we can meet up.”

She nodded at him. “Okay, sounds good. Give me a call when you’re out?”

Ulquiorra gave her a nod. “I will do that, come over to the pick up counter and I’ll have your hot chocolate.”

She did. She picked up her hot chocolate and waved goodbye to everyone, giving Ulquiorra a special smile just for him, before leaving and getting back into her car. She sat there for a minute going over what she needed to pick up and what she wanted to get done for the rest of the week while taking tiny sips out of the piping hot cup. 

She knew she wanted to draw something for him for Christmas. Yeah, she had written her book for him, but she wanted to do something special and private for him. She was still brainstorming, though.

She also wanted to pick up a new dress for her graduation. She wanted something a bit conservative and higher quality than the stuff she used to buy and still cluttered her closet. She had made a decent little windfall from her book, but it wasn’t big bucks. It was enough to let her feel comfortable spending a little money on a new outfit, though.

She sat there a bit longer, thinking about Ulquiorra’s idea about saving himself for Christmas. She chuckled and shook her head. He was so funny about some things. She thought it was weird, but cute. She laughed at that. She thought she was weird, and had been called cute frequently. Maybe they were just two cute little weirdos that had been waiting for the right timing to come together.

Well, Christmas morning sex called for new Christmas Eve jammies. Somewhat fancy jammies at that. She started her car and drove to the mall.

The time for him came to clock out, so Ulquiorra did that and bid his workers to have a good shift. The only thing he did to change was remove the vest and tie before he grabbed a spare coat that was kept in the office, and then he was in his car and driving to the mall. He had a couple of stops to make. He had gotten Orihime a nice bracelet for graduation and decided to pick up a couple of basic Christmas presents for her; a scarf, a notebook and anything else that caught his eye.

It was close to ninety minutes later, when he had two handfuls of various bags, that he texted Orihime.

  * In the food court area, are you still wanting to meet?



She was trying on a dress when she got his text.

  * Yeah, I’m in the department store, half-dressed and trying to figure out what is “graduation ceremony appropriate.” I think I’ll take a break and come meet you, this one is NO GOOD. 



She sent a selfie that pictured her butt squeezed into a sheath dress with the zipper undone to a dangerously low point of her back.

Ulquiorra’s eyes about popped out of their sockets, but he quickly recovered. She looked good in that dress. 

  * That one is very good. I like it.



Orihime shook her head and laughed.

  * I might have to buy it, if I have to rip myself out of it. It may come to that



She managed to get the thing off, but it took some effort. She did make a mental note that he enjoyed her in tight things as she redressed and put the too-tight dress on a rack to be put back, then hustled over to the food court.

Ulquiorra was sitting there sipping on a smoothie when he saw Orihime. He put down the cup and stood up so that she could see him. “Woman!”

Her head snapped in his direction, and she chuckled to herself, thinking it odd that she was responding to his peculiar pet name for her. As she got into earshot, she said, “You know, you saying that here is like calling “Dog!” in the middle of a dog park. You’re lucky you didn’t have half of Evanston running up to you.” She paused to take a breath when she reached him, then put a hand on his chest. “You look handsome,” she murmured.

He leaned down and gave her a quick peck at the corner of her mouth. “I took off the tie and vest. Nothing fancy to that or handsome. What could I call you? Pumpkin? Peanut? Princess is out of the question. I’ll stick to calling you Woman.”

“I guess that at this point, it’s pretty much the only thing I’m going to respond to, so…” she teased. “You do look handsome, so shut up.”

“I’m not handsome, Orihime. I’m just a guy.” Ulquiorra ran a hand through her hair and then sat down, gesturing for her to take a seat. “Did you get your shopping done?”

“Mostly,” she said. “I need to pick out a dress to wear under my gown for graduation. You’re still coming to that, right?” she asked. He could deny he was handsome all day long. She would still disagree.

“I am going to be there. I’ll have flowers for you,” he said with a smile. “You looked great in that dress you showed me.”

“I did not. I couldn’t even zip it up. You just like my butt, don’t you?” she teased.

His face turned pink. “I’ve not had the pleasure of seeing it properly -or feeling it - but from what I viewed, it’s a nice feature on you,” Ulquiorra said before he picked up his cup.

Oh my. Was he being bashful? This was too frickin’ cute. “A nice feature, huh? Like countertops or a sunroof?” She grinned at him wickedly for a moment. “Well, I rather liked your features from what I could see this morning, too,” she said and took a seat at the table, acting innocent.

Ulquiorra snorted then rolled his eyes. “It’s just a butt.”

Orihime smiled and bit on her lips for a moment as her face colored slightly. “Well, it was a  _ nice _ butt and that’s not all I saw,” she admitted in an embarrassed voice after a moment.

This made his eyes open wide. “Oh. I didn’t mean to flash that much at you,” he said after the shock wore off. It was true. He had only meant to show Orihime his backside. “And? What did you think?”

“I’m reserving judgment for now,” she said with a little smirk. “I was not disappointed with the sneak preview, though.”

“Tch,” he scoffed in a quiet way. Ulquiorra had a smirk on his face as he shook his head back and forth slowly. He decided to tease her. “Want to get a hotel room somewhere?”

An auburn brow arched. “What’s this? And ruin your plans? Never,” she said in a faux-scandalized voice. “Besides, I think I still have some shopping to do,” she said, but took a seat in the chair across from his smoothie.

The grin on his face widened marginally. “Yeah? Looks like I might have some more shopping to do too,” Ulquiorra replied.

“Oh yeah? Anything you want to tell me about? Or is it classified?” she teased, letting the side of her shoe slide against his under the table.

“Classified. Santa doesn’t give his secrets away,” Ulquiorra replied. He didn’t mention the fact that she was playing footsie with him. It was a cute gesture. “We could always find a changing booth in a store.”

Her eyes narrowed at him. “Oh? Are you going to help me play dress up?” she asked.

Ulquiorra gave her a one-shouldered shrug. “Or get you undressed..”

“Well, I could have used your help with that last dress. If you’re offering your services, I wouldn’t say no,” she said while looking at the table top and tracing a little heart with her finger on its surface. After she finished speaking she looked back up at him with an impossibly innocent expression. She was being obtuse on purpose.

His green eyes narrowed this time and Ulquiorra shifted in his seat. This little conversation was making him aroused. “Orihime, if I were an exhibitionist I’d fuck you in Coffee & Sadness first while Rangiku was working.”

Orihime snort-laughed before she could censor herself. “Oh my god,” she said through chuckles. “It might eventually come down to that, you know. She still doesn’t seem to accept this,” she added, gesturing between them.

“I’m sure she knows by now. Ethan was a gossip hound today,” he replied before taking another sip of his drink. He found the cup to be almost empty. “I liked waking up with you today. I want to make it somewhat of a regular thing, when you have time.”

She bit her lip and blushed, nodding and making brief eye contact. There were a lot of feelings she was having, and she was enjoying all of them. “Yeah, for sure. I would like that. I’m pretty free if you want to work out a schedule or something?” she offered and then looked down. She was such a dork. She didn’t know what a healthy relationship was supposed to look like, though, so she felt compelled to give him options.

His face was confused for a moment. “Schedule things? I am OCD enough in my life. I want to see you as much as I can inside my apartment, when we’re not out doing domesticated stuff together.”

Her shoulders shook slightly and she looked back up at him. “Okay, good, I was just, uh, giving you a chance to…” she grinned and looked at the ceiling, trying not to die at how badly she was embarrassing herself. “To, uh, tell me not to get too excited. I mean, I could pack a bag…”

“How about after graduation?” Ulquiorra asked.

“After graduation what? You want me to camp out for a couple of days?”

He nodded. “Why not? Just until after Christmas.”

She pursed her lips for a minute and took a slow breath. “Maybe… I’m afraid that I might have my heart broken after Christmas then, though.”

His brow furrowed deeper. Why would she be afraid about that? Why would she even worry about it? Suddenly Ulquiorra wanted to punch Grimmjow in his face for contorting Orihime’s world when it came to relationships. “I’m not in the business of collecting hearts. There’s a reason why I have lust tattooed on me,” he stated.

Her mouth relaxed at that. “What’s the reason, if you don’t mind sharing?”

“Every time I’ve followed my dick, it’s led me down a path of trouble. I want what my parents had before they died.”

Her head tilted slightly. “So, it’s a warning?”

Ulquiorra shook his head. “No, it’s more of a reminder of what lust can do to a person; to me. Before you came into my life, I was a monster of sorts.”

Now her brow furrowed. “I don’t believe that,” she said cautiously. “Why would you call yourself a monster?”

A sigh left him. “I’ve never been in love, not really. I’ve never felt like I feel with you. I don’t know if I’m doing things right,” he said.

She thought about what he was saying and her expression gentled gradually. After a couple of minutes she reached across the table and took one of his hands gave it a squeeze. “This is new to both of us, then. So far so good, I’d say,” she said softly and made eye contact with him. She felt a kind of heavy warmth in her heart that she didn’t know how to define, but it didn’t scare her.

He gave her a small smile back. “Well, Miss Inoue, that’s good to hear. How about we finish our shopping and meet back here when we’re done? Or you can text me in a cramped dressing room and I can find you?”

She gave his hand one more squeeze and let go. “Good plan. If you can’t figure out which door it is, I’ll just start shouting Marco, and you can call back Polo, and we’ll figure it out,” she suggested, suppressing a giggle. 

***

Ulquiorra texted Orihime about an hour later. He had enough of people and their before-Christmas shopping. The rudeness and rushed energy of the mall had him feeling stressed. So as he sat at the food court again with another smoothie, he texted Orihime.

  * I’m done for today and the rest of the year. Want to ride home with me?



She got his message as was deciding between two pair of pajamas; having picked out her dress already. 

  * I am almost done, but I drove here, too. If you want, you can pick me up or I can meet you at your place after I stop at home. 



His eyes scanned her message and he breathed a sigh of relief. Ulquiorra didn’t relish the idea of having to wait around for his girlfriend to get done shopping. The one time he went with Rangiku when she went shopping, he spent 8 hours at the mall.

  * I will meet you at your place. Pack a change of clothes. Maybe panties. Definitely pjs.



She smiled and decided to just get both pair of pajamas that she was considering.

***

An hour later, Orihime stood in her lobby with a backpack and refreshed makeup. Ulquiorra was on the way over. 

While she shopped, drove home, and got ready, she thought over what Ulquiorra had talked about earlier. He had already proven that he wasn’t thinking with his dick with her. They had been at this relationship in honesty since the beginning of September. It was now the middle of December. With her other two boyfriends, it had been fuck first, figure out the relationship later.

It had been a little difficult for Orihime to accept Ulquiorra’s hands-off approach, when she was being honest with herself, recent developments notwithstanding. His patience could be read as reluctance, and she was pretty sure that sometimes it _had_ been reluctance. In fact, he had once mentioned reservations about the two of them in light of her prior rejection of him.

She still felt bad about that. She didn’t blame herself, but she didn’t like knowing how much she had hurt him. She hoped the gifts she’d bought and prepared for him would help negate some of his lingering doubts. Maybe his idea of spending more time together would help, too. She just hoped she could continue to be okay with his boundaries.

She was reminded why this was a challenge a minute and a half later as he pulled up in front of her building and stepped out of his car, pulling the lapels of his black coat up to his throat and scowling at the wind. 

Damn. She could pick ‘em. He blew her away. He knocked her socks off. He made her swoon. By the time he made it to the door and saw her standing there, she had kind of a dazed, dreamy look on her face.

Ulquiorra was freezing, but that was normal for December in this area. Why did he live somewhere where the air hurt his face? Why did he live in a variable climate? Then he saw Orihime, and a grin lit up his face. He blushed. God, sometimes he acted like an idiot. Why did he feel like this, like some kind of butterflies erupted and flew around in his torso? Was this what love felt like? Was this what his parents had?

When she opened the door, Ulquiorra said, “Hey. You ready?”

“Uh huh,” she said, her own face getting warm at the sound of his voice. “Um, maybe I overprepared, but I figure, better to have something and not have to worry about it, right?” she said, holding up her backpack by a strap and waving it around.

He nodded. “Being prepared is efficient. I like that trait in a person,” Ulquiorra replied. “It makes my life easier.”

“Well, if I could make your life easier, I’d be pleased,” she said, approaching him and deciding to get this part of the evening over with, grabbing him by the hand and leading him back to his car. She grinned at him when she stopped at the passenger side and waited for him to walk around to the other side of the car.

Ulquiorra opened her door first, before he moved to the driver's side. He got in the car and started it again while he waited for Orihime to get in. Once she was in the car, he gave her a glance. “So what are you thinking we should do tonight?”

She glanced over at him thoughtfully. “You know, I think we ought to do something a bit more high-stakes than what we usually do. Not  _ too _ daring, but,” she stopped. That was it. He would probably say no, because it was childish and potentially risky, but she had become painfully aware of her own tendency to leave things unsaid if someone didn’t directly ask her, and she suspected Ulquiorra was similar in this way. “Now, this is only an idea, but how open are you to playing a game?”

“A game?” He was about to start the car when she said that. Was Orihime saying he was boring? He turned in the driver seat to look at her and raised an eyebrow. “What type of game?”

“A question and answer game? Truth or dare? Something to help us get to know some trivia about each other. Interested?” she asked, moving her brows up and down a couple times and smiling.

He thought about it for a moment before he began to drive the few blocks to where his business and home were. Hmmm. A question and answer game… Ulquiorra’s mouth twisted to the side as he contemplated her request. “Okay, that sounds like a fun thing to do,” he replied. 

She grinned and hummed in excitement. “This will be good. I have to think of some good ones,” she said.

Again his brow arched and he gave her a glance. “So, uh, favorite color? Favorite food? Favorite song of all time?” 

“For starters,” she said, giggling. “I hope you don’t ask me anything too  _ scandalous, _ ” she added, glancing at him with a glint in her eyes.

He scoffed. “I’m a boring person, Orihime. I’m not going to pry. I ask boring questions,” Ulquiorra stated.

“You snooze, you lose,” she teased. 

Another scoff. Ulquiorra managed a grin before he turned into the alley where he parked his car a few moments later. “How many people have you slept with?”

“You already know the answer to this one. Two. My turn,“ she said, altogether too excitedly. “Hmm… When did you lose your virginity?”

“Back when I was younger,” Ulquiorra said. He shook his head. “I don’t really remember. It was back when I first met Sung-Sun, so I could have been seventeen or eighteen. You?”

“Ummm,” she tapped on her chin. “It was freshman year, so nineteen.” Ulquiorra turned off the car and she got out.

He followed. “I was trying to throw you off your game, you know. You still didn’t answer my first questions.”

“Which ones?” she asked.

“Your favorite food, color and song?”

“Oh,” she replied slowly. “Food… Probably that peaches and gorgonzola thing you had on the menu last year. That was like, oh my god. Transcendent.”

She sighed, closing her eyes and thinking about it for a moment. “Okay, then, color. I think black. I like all the colors, but black is strong. Dependable. Firm. I like that,” she said and then followed him as he entered the building. She was taking her time with the last of the favorites, it was a tough decision.

He chuckled as they went to his apartment. She really liked that cheese dish? “So, you really liked that thing I came up with on the fly? Hmmm, I might feed that to you on Christmas Day,” Ulquiorra said, as if contemplating this information. “Black is a good color. It’s a color to fade into the background with.”

She gave him a knowing smile. She wouldn’t mind fading into the background with him and staying there for a good long time. She blushed and her eyes went down as she kind of fell into her thoughts for a moment. “Anyway, song?” she finally said. “I’m going to have to go with… With… With…” she could not make up her mind.

“You can’t decide, can you?” Ulquiorra gave a laugh before he opened the apartment door and let Orihime inside first. “All those songs you put on those playlists and you don’t have a favorite?”

“You’re asking me to choose a favorite child, I hope you know that,” she said with a little scowl. “Well, among the top favorites are “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure.”

Ulquiorra was taking off his things when she said this, and he slowly turned around to stare at Orihime for a moment. “Just like Heaven?” he asked. “I figured your favorite band was The Cure.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, The Cure, The Smiths, New Order, et cetera. They are on heavy rotation in my playlists, so it’s kind of a giveaway. What about you? Food, color and song?”

He had to think about this and he had to think about it for several long seconds. “I have a guilty pleasure for oatmeal raisin cookies. I like the color teal. I have a lot of favorite songs. I have only a couple of favorite bands. Right now I’m stuck on the Smashing Pumpkins.”

“Nice choice,” she said with an appreciative nod. “I haven’t listened to SP in ages, but I like them a lot. Okay, my turn, unless you want to do a dare,” she said with rising inflection.

“A dare? Okay then, I’ll take your dare, Miss Inoue.” Ulquiorra put his hands on his hips and waited for whatever Orihime had in mind for him.

She grinned. There were so many options. So many things she would like him to do, and so many ways for him to do it. “Hmm, I dare you to kiss me like you wanted to on Halloween last year,” she said after a few moments of thinking.

Immediately his eyes became half-lidded and he took a step towards where Orihime stood. “You want me to kiss you like I wanted to on Halloween last year? Woman, it wouldn’t have stopped with a kiss.”

She narrowed her eyes, an unspoken challenge in them as she took a step towards him. “That was the dare,” she said.

His gaze dropped from her eyes to her lips and then down to her neck. Ulquiorra had to stop himself from being a complete pervert and letting his sight travel down her body. He had to think back to that night. He’d been completely drunk. She had been against the wall. The wall nearest to where they were standing was a brick wall. He took another step towards Orihime. “Back against the wall then. You’re going to need the support.”

She opened her eyes wide, brows raising a bit as she glanced around. She didn’t want her back against the brick, so she crossed the room to the other side and stood with her back against it. “Like this?”

There was a low chuckle from him, but Ulquiorra nodded. “What made you decide to challenge me? You know what happens when people challenge me, Orihime.” He was chest to chest with her as he reached for her wrists.

“It was something I wanted to know,” she said, slightly breathy. “I think about that night a lot.”

It was something she wanted to know? Hell. Ulquiorra exhaled. She had to know how much he wanted her back then; how much he wanted her now. His head lowered until his lips were hovering right over Orihime’s mouth. “Anything good that you think about?”

He could hear the soft sounds of her lips parting and her tongue moving in her mouth as she considered her answer. “I think about if I didn’t have any restraints then; if I could have followed my desires… Succumbed to my weakness…” she breathed over his face. “Would we have burned down Starrk’s that night?”

“I would have taken you back to your apartment. I would have made you mine that night,” Ulquiorra replied, letting his mouth ghost over hers before he pressed his lips to hers firmly. “I would have had you anywhere.”

She shivered despite the heat of her skin. She took two slow breaths before responding. “Yes, you would have. Your turn,” she whispered.


	32. Where I Want To Be

His turn? Ulquiorra pulled back and looked at her for a moment, biting his bottom lip. “Kiss me,” he said in a rough voice. “Kiss me like you kissed me in my office that one day.”

Her breath left her in a rush. The feelings from that day came back to her and made her blink. She slowly raised her hands to his face, looking at his lips as she wet her own, then sunk one of her hands into the hair at the base of his skull and pulled him to her, wasting no time as she pressed her mouth into his, nibbling gently on his lower lip until they parted and she could take it between hers.

Ulquiorra gasped. He hadn’t been expecting this. His hands went to her waist, sliding up her torso to her chest. What she was doing was all the invitation he needed to open the door to his desires. “I wanted you so much back then,” he murmured.

She kissed him quiet, whimpering as she imagined what he might have done if things had been different. She pressed her tongue to his lips, tracing the inner surface of his and then gasped, pulling back from him and finding his eyes, her own dark and glassy. “So did I,” she admitted.

There was a slight smirk on his lips. Ulquiorra reached up and took her hand off his face, intertwining their fingers. “Come with me to bed, then,” he said. “I have a lot of nights to make up for with you.”

Orihime blinked and paused, the lust coursing through her cooling just a bit. “Are you sure?” she asked.

“I have been sure about you since I saw you, Woman.” Ulquiorra looked at her for a moment. “Why are you asking me if I’m sure?”

She smiled and sucked a breath in. “I just don’t want to… You know. Your boundaries.”

Boundaries? Ulquiorra was pretty sure he threw those out the window the other night when they were grinding on each other. He was absolutely sure he tossed them out the other night when he performed oral sex on her. “No boundaries tonight. Just you and me,” he stated.

Her brows tented and she pressed her body against his, kissing him again with urgency. The fingers in her free hand wormed their way back into his hair and she let the tips of her nails gently scratch a line down his scalp to the collar of his shirt as she coaxed his tongue into her mouth. 

A low growl went through him as he felt her fingers and nails against his skin. Orihime knew how to drive him into madness, didn’t she? He wanted to throw her onto the bed and have his way with her, but he had restraint. That was one of Ulquiorra’s frustrating traits, his abundance of self control. His fingers slipped under her sweater, cool skin against hers. She was much warmer than he was at the moment. “Woman,” he breathed before kissing her, allowing his mouth to open and accept her tongue.

A tiny, muted mewl accompanied her tongue as it joined his in his mouth. She loved the taste of him. She loved the coffee and the cloves and the Ulquiorra. His body smelled amazing to her, and so far his flavor did not disappoint. She breathed through her nose as she kissed him, drinking his soul into hers, it felt like. Her mind was on autopilot as her senses took over, savoring him, memorizing his essence. She didn’t realize that she was out of breath until she pushed back suddenly, panting to sate her burning lungs.

She looked at him as her vision cleared somewhat, her breath still coming in harsh gasps. “Ulquiorra…” she whispered.

“Orihime,” he murmured back. His breathing was just as rapid as hers was. His heart was beating just as fast. “I love you.”

She stared at him, her eyes boring into his with shining intensity. This felt different. This felt very, very different. There were no doubts. There was no question in her mind. She knew he meant it. She nodded slowly. Her breaths slowed into exaggerated, large breaths as emotion bubbled up from her belly, making her chest feel full. The sound of her pulse distracted her for a moment, but when it faded, she felt an unexpected calm. “I love you, too, Ulquiorra,” she said, her voice shaky but certain.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Ulquiorra let out a breath before he brought Orihime closer to him. “Blind taste test,” he murmured to her. “Close your eyes.”

She closed them, and she noticed her hands trembling. “Okay,” she breathed.

Ulquiorra didn’t kiss her, not really. He leaned down and brushed his warm dry lips across hers. “What do you feel?”

“I feel my heart ready to explode. I feel like everything I have ever wanted is right in front of me,” she said, opening her eyes. “What do you feel?”

“You and me.”

She nodded. “Come with me,” she murmured, letting her the hand at the back of his neck slide down his arm until it reached his. She gave it a squeeze, and began to pull him towards his bedroom.

He followed without a complaint, although he didn’t know what to expect from Orihime. Ulquiorra was going with the flow, which was something he did not do often. “Something on your mind, Woman?”

She couldn’t look at him at the moment, too consumed with her feelings, but she knew exactly what she wanted to do. She led him to the side of his bed and gently pushed him to sit. He did as she indicated and she joined him, continuing to guide his body until he sat somewhere in the center of the bed.

She kissed his lips, letting her tongue slide between them again. She moved to kiss his jaw, his neck, and then pulled his shirt over his head. She continued her descent, kissing and grazing her teeth along his skin, until she reached his waistband.

She did not stop there. She did not stop until her entire body, including her head, was hovering over his legs, and her fingers started working at the fastening of his pants. “Tell me if I do something you don’t like,” she muttered, pulling down his jeans and boxers and freeing his cock. She maneuvered her body lower still, putting her knees between his, then brought her face to lie on the top of one of his thighs as her fingers encircled his length, watching fondly as she stroked it slowly. Up close it was even better than the glimpse she had caught the other morning. “Well, hello, Mr. Cifer,” she said in a sweet, soft voice.

Ohhhh. He let out a long exhale as his hips slightly arched. Was she going to do what he thought she was going to do? “Orihime, I have to warn you… I’m a bit ticklish on my inner thighs.”

“I’ll keep it in mind, then,” she said, smiling at the way he was reacting. He smelled good down here. Different; warmer. The idea of microwaved oatmeal crossed her mind and she smiled. It was a warm, comforting, food. Somehow she felt a similar sentiment as she lifted her head off of his thigh and kissed the base of his shaft. “Mmm,” she hummed, holding his dick with one hand and kissing her way up to the tip on the other side.

“Hmmm? Hnngh,” he hummed. “You don’t have to do this...”

She smiled at him, lifting her face off of his cock for a moment and giving him an adoring gaze. He made her so happy. He loved her. She loved him. She wanted to make him happy. She turned her attention back to his body and kissed the top of his dick, then let her lips sink over it. She didn’t go for broke or anything like that, just held it in her lips and lapped at the underside of the head like a sucker, watching his face with kind eyes.

“Fuck.” Ulquiorra had to grab the pillow behind his head with both hands. He didn’t shut his eyes. He just stared at her. “Woman, Do you like doing this? You’re going to drive me crazy. I can feel your tongue and it feels good.”

Her lips came off of it for a moment with a soft popping sound and she said, “I like doing it to you,” before returning to the activity.

“Well so far, I’m loving what you’re doing. It feels amazing.” Ulquiorra swallowed as he bent his knees and reached down to run his fingers through her hair. “Woman,” he groaned.

“Hmm?” she asked without stopping what she was doing, her eyes getting a bit rounder in an obscene display of innocence, given her activity. She took him a bit deeper into her mouth at the same time, fucking him with her mouth slowly.

That made him close his eyes and release a groan. He braced his feet on the bed and helped her, keeping the pace slow. “Nothing, I just am acknowledging your efforts. I love you. I love you so much. Seeing you do this for me...Hnnnn.”

She would have smirked if she was able, but instead she just flared her nostrils and squinted her eyes a bit, then hooked her arms under his legs, just below his ass, grabbing him by the hip bones, and took him as deeply as she could, closing her eyes and breathing through her nose. When he hit the spot at the back of her throat that would make her gag, she tried to swallow instead. She wanted this. She wanted him.

Oh god. Ulquiorra’s eyes shut tighter and he was panting. Her mouth felt amazing and hot. It was wet and her tongue felt like velvet. “Orihime, Woman… Oh, you’re going to make me come. You… You’re doing such a good job.”

A small huff came out of her nose. A good job, huh? A job? This wasn’t a job. This was her showing him how much she loved him. Actions speak louder than words, she had heard. She’d speak what she wanted to say with her lips on him to reinforce the words she had said.

“Really fucking amazing. Fuck. Orihime,” he said. His hips moved with her, fingers still running through her hair. Ulquiorra cracked an eye open to watch her. Seeing his cock enter her mouth made his breathing hitch as he watched her. He had received blowjobs before. None of them had come close to this. She was being so loving. She smiled with her eyes as his found hers. Just seeing her do that small action made his other hand join the one on her head, but he cupped her face. “Orihime,” he breathed. “It’s going to be soon. You’re good at this. You’re so good to me. Fuck, baby.” His thighs tensed as he pressed into her mouth.

The endearment made her whine and swallow at his cock. She wanted it. She wanted everything he could give her. When he pushed into her it was very uncomfortable, but all she could think was that she wanted more. She pulled at his hips and sucked.

His muscles were tensing. His stomach muscles became more pronounced as he grit his teeth, exhaling a forced breath. “Yes, I’m going to come, Orihime. I’m going to--” His eyes rolled back in his head and he tried to pull out of her mouth but it was difficult as she was sucking his cock like she was desperate. “Hnnngh,” he whined.

The first spurt of his come hit the back of her throat with some velocity, and she hurried to swallow it down. Swallow after swallow, gulp after gulp and finally his legs relaxed. She could feel his cock still pulsing in her mouth, but the stream was over. She remained where she was, panting through her nose for a moment, before carefully bringing her face out of his crotch. She didn’t let go of him, cradling his softening member between her cheek and shoulder as she rested her head against one of his hips. “I love you, Ulquiorra.”

He sat up, struggling somewhat, and then grabbed Orihime’s arms, pulling her up to him. “I love you, too. Thank you,” he said, before kissing her.

She felt boneless, breathless, and powerless at the moment, but kissed him back, her body flopped against his like a ragdoll. “I love you, Ulquiorra,” she repeated. She was getting emotional again and had to close her eyes.

“Talk to me, Woman. You sound… Are you okay? I’m sorry if I was eager,” Ulquiorra murmured to her. He kissed her again, slowly this time, taking a long moment to show her how much he appreciated her. “Amazing. You are amazing and wonderful and gorgeous and mine. I can return the favor if you’d like.”

She blinked tears out of her eyes and shook her head. “Maybe later? I just want to hold you,” she said in a trembling voice.

Ulquiorra nodded and wrapped his arms around her. “Do you want to talk about this?” he asked. He could hear that she was emotional. He could feel it too. She was giving off that vibe.

She coughed once before responding, “Sure. I, uh, actually,” she paused and chuckled, grabbing the side of his blanket and pulling it up and over his legs. “You’re going to get cold,” she murmured. She was still fully dressed.

When she felt that he was situated, she raised her face up to look at him. “I love you. I love you, and you love me, and, um, I _believe_ you,” she said with a little smile and a breath that came out sounding a bit like a scoff, but she meant nothing negative by it.

“You believe me?” he asked. Ulquiorra lifted his head and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “You believe my words and what I say?”

She nodded. “Shouldn’t I? Does this surprise you?”

“You should believe them. I have never said those words to anyone who didn’t deserve them. My mother heard those words from me, and now you have,” Ulquiorra said. He stared at Orihime for a long moment. “I know Grimmjow led you to believe he loved you when he didn’t. He will tell a woman what she wants to hear to get what he wants. I am not like that.”

“I know. I knew when he said it first time that he didn’t mean it. I knew he said it because he wanted to placate me.” She pressed the side of her face into his neck for a moment and then sat up to look at him. “You would never do that. I have never seen you do that to anyone.”

He nodded. “I won’t ever do that to anyone. I don’t have the energy or the time or the… It’s not my style to lead people on or around on a chain like that.”

One side of her mouth tipped up into a smile. “You’ve got me on a chain, anyway,” she said, then blushed and looked down at her legs, laughing at herself.

“Is that funny?” Ulquiorra was confused as to why she would laugh at a statement like that. Orihime was his, in an emotional way, but she was her own person physically and mentally. “I don’t have you on a chain. We’re tied together though; those strings of fate.”

She looked back up at him, giving him a gentle grin. “I mean, you’ve got my heart, and it’s locked up tight for you. When you let me stay here that night after my mom died,” she began to explain, her smile not faltering, “and I was free to give it to you, I knew. I knew that if you would accept it, no one else would have it. I’m glad I was able to mend it up a bit before I gave it to you, though,” she said with a chuckle. “How do you feel?”

That made more sense to Ulquiorra. He kissed the top of her head. “How do I feel? I feel great. I have you in my life and everything is going good. This year has kind of been a rollercoaster, though. Everything that happened has brought us together,” he said in a quiet way.

She bit her lip and nodded. “Well, what do you want to do now?”

Ulquiorra shrugged and then yawned. “A nap would be nice,” he replied.

She laughed and stood up from the bed. “Alright. I’m going to go change into something more comfortable.”

***

Ulquiorra was on the phone bright and early the next morning while he was getting ready for work. He was calling the same florist that had delivered flowers to Orihime months ago. “Hi, this is Ulquiorra Cifer at Coffee & Sadness. I’d like to put in an order, well two orders. Huh? Yeah I need a dozen pink roses to be ready as early as possible on the twentieth. Then I need a dozen red roses.” When the person on the other end of the line asked where he wanted those delivered, Ulquiorra gave them Orihime’s address. 

After the call was finished, he walked out of the bathroom and into his bedroom where Orihime was sleeping. He gave her a kiss on the forehead before he gathered his clothes for the day.

She turned toward him, her eyes still closed. “Morning already? Did we actually just fall asleep without dinner?”

“We fell asleep. I only closed my eyes for a moment and then my alarm went off,” he replied. “I’m going to head down to work. If you want anything, let me know, okay?” He smiled at her sleepy face and then shook his head. 

She smiled as he spoke, and then she had a thought that stretched it into a grin after he finished. Her body began to shake, and she covered her mouth with both hands. Her eyes opened and she looked at him and shook her head, then slowly lowered her hands. “I am _naughty_ ,” she said, scandalized at the thoughts in her mind.

A brow arched and he gave her a questioning look. “Why are you naughty? What is it that you want?” Ulquiorra asked.

Her wild grin gentled. “I want a hug and a kiss, but that’s not what makes me naughty. I was thinking, maybe you didn’t have anything to eat last night, but I did.” After she said it, she squealed and covered her face, rolling to the side and back, both ashamed and amused at herself.

The smirk that grew on his face was wide. Ulquiorra scoffed in a playful way. He knelt on the bed and straddled his girlfriend’s waist. “It’s okay. I’ll get some more of you tonight,” he said before leaning down and kissing her.

She lay there, body completely at ease as he rose to a seated position again. Her hands ran up his thighs about halfway, and she smiled at him and sighed happily. “I love you, Ulquiorra.”

“I love you, Woman. What do you have planned for today?” Ulquiorra looked down at her, tempted to just call downstairs and tell them he wouldn’t be in for a couple of hours, but he had responsibilities to attend to. He couldn’t put them off onto anyone else.

“Absolutely nothing. Well, that’s not exactly true; I have gifts to wrap and pieces to work on, but that’s about it. Nothing pressing or urgent. Oh! I need to go to the registrar’s office today or tomorrow to get my cap and gown,” she said.

“That sounds productive. I’m going to be working until three. Will I see you tonight?” Ulquiorra looked somewhat apprehensive.

“You can if you want to. I want to,” she said, rubbing his legs and smiling at him. “This isn’t going away, you know. I’m not going away.” She wasn’t sure if he was worried about that, but she wanted to nip that thought in the bud, if he was thinking it.

His mouth twisted to the side for a moment before he spoke. “I know, I just don’t want to be clingy or annoying. I’m sure you have things to do without me utilizing your time or monopolizing it.”

She chuckled at him. “Do you remember a red-haired girl coming into your shop on the daily just to ogle you for hours on end? Do you remember how much she annoyed you? Do you remember how much she kept coming in anyway? Yeah. I do. She still isn’t sick of you. She can still ogle you for hours. You’re not clingy. You’re not annoying. I need your attention. I want your time. All. Of. It,” she said, then blushed at how forward she was being. This was the new her. She wanted to let him see it.

He slowly bent over again and kissed her, his mouth melding to hers and his tongue sliding against the seam of her lips. “You have it when I’m not at work, but even then, you take up a good portion of it.”

She chased his lips as well as she could as he sat back up. “I’ll keep that in mind. Maybe I’ll wear something flirty to get more of it sometime. Just keep that Ethan busy, I don’t dress up for him,” she teased. “Oh! Actually, do you remember my friend, Zara?”

“Uh, maybe?” Ulquiorra tried not to remember too many people, especially the ones Orihime called her friends. He sat back again and then swung his leg over the redhead’s body so he was no longer sitting on top of her but beside her. “What about her?”

“She’s in town for some kind of networking event and asked me to have lunch. It will probably be tomorrow or Wednesday. Maybe we can come in and she can make eyes at Ethan and I can wear something pretty for you,” she offered. “And she is the least pumpkin-spicy of my old friends.”

“I’m not setting up Ethan with one of your friends, but you two are welcome to come in and have lunch. I wouldn’t mind the chance to see more of you, Miss Inoue.” Ulquiorra brought his hands up and trailed his thumb across her bottom lip. He couldn’t help but think back to last night. With a huge sigh he stood. If he didn’t leave now he wouldn’t leave at all.

She got up on her knees and walked on them to the end of the bed, her nightshirt nearly tripping her as she did so. “No worries, she lives in Madison now. All of my old friends graduated last spring and moved away.” She got off the bed and looked up at him. “But I think I’m where I’m going to stay,” she said, giving him a hug around the waist, and then stepping away from the bed and walking towards the door.

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime, a warmth growing in his chest. “You know, I’m where I want to be. We didn’t get here easily though. We both had to make sacrifices, but I am glad we made them,” he said before he walked over to his dresser to grab what he needed to shove into the pockets of his uniform pants.

She watched him from the doorway. “Same,” she murmured in a dreamy voice. She thought about how she used to look at Grimmjow and imagine a future together with him. She never really considered what it might look like then, she just assumed it would be a conventional life, maybe the kind he was having with Lucy.

As she watched Ulquiorra move around his bedroom, dressed in his uniform before dawn, she realized that the kind of future she might have with him was unknown. It wasn’t a conventional schedule he lived. She smiled as she came to realize that it really didn’t matter to her. Their growing closeness was the only goal in her mind. The rest could work itself out.

He finished quickly and walked over to where Orihime still stood and pulled her close. “Have a good day, Woman. I’ll see you later,” he said before kissing her.


	33. Pomp & Circumstance

“So you and the barista, huh?” Zara asked, smiling and making suggestive eyes at Orihime. “I can see it. I bet you have wild sex all the time.”

Orihime bit her lips and tried not to smile, blushing and shaking her head. “No, actually, we’ve been taking it slow… For reasons. Anyway, how is Madison?” 

They continued their friendly catching up as they had lunch at Coffee & Sadness. Orihime had done as she had suggested she might and wore a tight day dress just to tease her boyfriend, and she kept catching him glancing at her, which pleased her. 

When lunch was over, she gave Zara a hug goodbye and got into line for some coffee. She had another meeting with Renji after this, and she wanted some coffee to go.

Ulquiorra was at the register taking orders. Today had been really busy so far. It had been nothing but rush, rush, rush. Sometimes running this business was maddening to him. He called out to the next customer, only glancing up before he did a double take. “Hey Woman,” he said to Orihime. “Need more caffeine?”

She smiled at him. “Hey Handsome. Yes. I think I told you about that meeting with Kuchiki’s assistant this afternoon. He is… He is a nice person and I imagine he could be fun, given the opportunity, but at work he is as dry as paper.”

His brow furrowed for a moment as he thought back to all the people who worked at RBM. “Uh, the eyebrow guy? He seems spastic, but that’s my observation. Do you want your regular?”

“Yes, and yes, please,” she replied. “I have yet to see Renji as anything but all business. He can be kind of scary, to be honest.”

“There was the year before you came along and he was a spaz. Things had to be perfect for Kuchiki, and Renji went out of his way to make sure he gave himself premature grays to get it done for his boss.” Ulquiorra shrugged and then ran Orihime’s other coffee gift card that he kept under the counter. She had one for use when he wasn’t there and the other everyone on the morning shift knew about. “One large coffee with a splash of skim milk coming up.”

“Thank you,” she said after laughing at his commentary about Renji. To be honest, she was anxious to get the meeting over with. Tomorrow was her graduation ceremony, and while she was looking forward to it, she wanted to get it over with just as much. She was ready to leave school behind her and move on to her next phase of life, whatever that might be.

The man behind the counter put an underling on to take more orders while he personally got his girlfriend’s coffee. Ulquiorra didn’t mind this. It was a gesture of care for him to make her order and hand it off to her. As he finished, he walked to the pick-up area. “So, what time is your graduation thing? I’ve got to pick up a gift for you,” Ulquiorra said.

She shook her head. “You know you don’t have to do that,” she said with a gentle smile. She knew he would anyway. “Well, commencement is at nine-thirty and convocation is at eleven. You don’t have to come for all the dry speeches,” she said and chuckled.

“Nonsense. I want to see how proud or bored you look during the ceremony. I’ll be easy to spot, by the way. I’ll have flowers with me,” he replied, handing the coffee over to her.

She narrowed her eyes at him slightly and let her fingers brush over his as she took it from him. “I’ll be watching for you, then. I’ll text you later?”

He nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”

***

“So your tour will be ten days, all in a row. Then it’ll be time to start thinking of the next phase, Orihime,” Renji said. “Kuchiki wants you to write another book. He doesn’t want you to misunderstand; we all love you here at Rotten and want you to stay, but if this isn’t what you dream of, we don’t want to hold you back, either. Kuchiki says you should capitalize on your popularity and release another book by the end of summer.”

Orihime’s brows rose slowly. “He really thinks so? I mean, I thought The Perfect Cup was a fluke,” she joked. She wasn’t only joking, though. Surely success like that only came once in a lifetime. 

“He does. He also wanted me to give you this,” he said, passing a small package to her. “He won’t be able to go to your graduation, since he’s still down in Naples, but he wanted to give this to you.”

Orihime nodded, took the small package, and then stood up. “That’s all, right?”

Renji nodded and left the room with her. “Good luck tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Renji.”

***

Orihime waited until she got home to open her boss’ gift. In fact, she was a little nervous to open it, and decided to text Ulquiorra first.

  * Just got home. Lots of news. I’ll tell you later. 



When his phone chimed, Ulquiorra looked down at the device and smiled. After reading her text, he became a bit worried. Orihime had lots of news? What could she possibly tell him? He sent her a quick reply of a thumbs up and then put the phone back into his pocket.

She got his return text and exhaled slowly to calm herself. He was probably swamped right now. She looked at the box wrapped in plain silver paper. There was a little card affixed to the top that was not sealed, which simply read, “Congratulations. Very proud. All the best, Byakuya”.

She was being silly. It wasn’t like it would be a hand grenade or something. She tore one corner of the paper off and the rest followed. A white box with the name of a popular personalization store found in malls across the country embossed on the top was revealed, and her shoulders slumped in relief. A tiny part of her brain had been holding on to fears for months that her boss’ kindness had come at a price. All signs here were pointing to this not being expensive jewelry or something like that.

When she finally got the actual gift out of the box, she smiled. It was a compass. A compass with a quote about following her dreams engraved inside. She was so moved that she began to cry, and didn’t stop until she fell asleep on her couch, still holding the gift.

After Ulquiorra was done with his shift, he went upstairs and got cleaned up. Then he went to the local Chinese place and picked up several take out boxes of food, which he drove over to Orihime’s apartment. He sent her a text before he walked up to the building’s door.

  * I’m outside. I have food.



The text woke her from a dead sleep. She had drool on one side of her face. She got up on wobbly legs and buzzed him in. 

The door unlocked and Ulquiorra let himself in before he went to his girlfriend’s door. He knocked gently on the surface. “Delivery for Inoue,” he stated.

She opened the door, still dressed in her sexy business dress with her hair a rumpled mess and sleepy eyes. She grinned at him. “I hope it’s a hot baristo,” she said, her voice still raspy with fatigue.

“Baristo? Where did you learn your coffee house culture? I am a barista,” he said, kissing her forehead and holding up the bag. “There’s no suffix change just because I am male.”

“For real? You mean people have been letting me say it wrong all this time? I must be cuter than I think,” she said, kissing his cheek and taking the bag from him. “Follow me.” She led him through the kitchen and to her coffee table, where the gift wrap and card and Kuchiki’s gift still sat.

Ulquiorra followed her and as soon as he saw the package, his brow rose. “Got an admirer?” he asked, gesturing to the stuff sitting on the surface.

“Nope, not really,” she said as she set down the bag and left him in the living room to go get plates and forks. “It’s a graduation gift from Mr. Kuchiki. Take a look, it is very motivational.”

He picked up the item and took a look at it. In Kuchiki’s fashion, the gift was well made and heavy. The compass turned as he rotated the object. Hmmm, it was an actual compass. Nice. Then he saw the inscription that was engraved on the lid. “Go confidently in the directions of your dreams and live the life you imagined,” he murmured as he read it. “Nice, Kuchiki.”

Orihime smiled at him as she returned to the room. “Right? I was all worried when I got a present. Turns out some people are just good people. Renji gave it to me as we concluded our meeting.”

“Kuchiki is a good person; strict, but kind,” Ulquiorra said, putting down the compass. “I didn’t know what you liked, so I just got a sampling of my favorite things.”

Her eyes took on a mischievous glint. “Ooh, I wonder what I can divine about your personality from this,” she growled playfully. “What’s first?”

“Well, we have spring rolls, crab rangoon, and a couple of egg rolls. Then I have sesame noodles and some garlic chicken. There’s rice too.”

She raised a single brow as she sat down next to him and passed him a plate, napkin and fork. “I see. Huh. Interesting…” she said, tapping her bottom lip with her fork.

Ulquiorra mimicked the expression. “What?” he asked. “What is interesting?”

She straightened her spine and looked at him, tilting her chin up and holding her fork at shoulder height like a wand. “I would say you are heavy on the appetizers. You take awhile to get to the good stuff. But once you’re there, you like conventional things that keep away the people who might not. Garlic breath and all,” she explained with a nod and then turned toward the boxes he had taken out and arranged on the table.

Hmph. He huffed. “I usually pick one appetizer. It depends what I’m feeling that day. Sometimes I get chicken and mushrooms, but I was feeling a bit on the spicy side tonight, so I had them add extra peppers to the garlic chicken. I also did not know what you would like, so I just picked an assortment.”

She nudged him with her shoulder and laughed. Her attempt at flirting with him had fallen utterly flat, as usual. “I love garlic chicken.”

“Good. There’s nothing wrong with garlic breath. If we both have it, it cancels out,” Ulquiorra replied and then smiled at her. “At least that’s my logical thinking.”

“One of the many things I love about you. Let’s eat before it gets cold, shall we?”

***

The next morning, Ulquiorra sat in the crowd with a gift box and a dozen roses. He listened to the head of the school drone on about achievements. He listened to their guest speaker and whatever they talked about. 

Orihime was right; this entire pomp and circumstance was dry. 

Still, she had done something amazing. Going through everything she had been through was rough, and managing to keep up with her studies and deal with it all had been a feat. When the person called her name he politely clapped and smiled.

His girlfriend made him proud. 

Orihime had not been prepared for the feelings that came over her during the ceremony. Of course, she had expected to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride, but she hadn’t expect it to be so profound.

Those dry, trite speeches that would normally send her mind wandering through daydreams now had her rapt attention. She hung onto each word of wisdom and inspiration spoken by the guest speaker. She dabbed the corners of her eyes at the parts that particularly resonated with her, bits about overcoming adversity and grinding along even when it felt like no progress was being made.

She thought of her mom, Nnoitra, and Grimmjow; of Lucy, Brady, and Rangiku; and of Aunt Kathy, Byakuya, and Ulquiorra when the speaker described instances and people which would touch lives and change them forever, some for better, others for worse, but all of them contributed something to her character. She nodded along when the speaker said the graduating class would not be the individuals they were today without each of those influences. 

When her name was called to walk across that stage, her heart swelled in her chest. Was this what it was supposed to feel like? She couldn’t dampen the grin threatening to burst her cheeks. Pride was not a feeling she was used to. 

She stepped off the side of the stage after shaking the dean’s hand and looked around the sea of people. She spotted Ulquiorra quickly, and held up her degree, pointed to it with a cheesy smile, and blew him a kiss before she went to go sit back down and watch her classmates do the same.

After the closing speech, she joined her class once more to toss caps and high five one another, even though they were all strangers. She didn’t linger, though. She had someone to find.

“Ulquiorra!” she shouted through a smaller crowd of people when she finally found him again.

“Woman!” he called back. Ulquiorra shouldered his way through the crowd until he reached Orihime. He gave her a hug with his free arm and then handed her the flowers and the box. He bit his bottom lip as he watched her. “You did it.”

She glanced at his gifts and smiled at them briefly, then held them out to her sides and pressed her body to his, tipping her chin up. “I did! Thank you! Now kiss me!” she squealed.

Ulquiorra pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. He brought his mouth down to Orihime’s lips, brushing them across the surface. “You did do it. I have a surprise for you… later tonight.”

“Oh?” she blushed and smiled up into his face after that. “More than these?” she asked, stepping back and holding his gifts between them again. “Should I wait until then to open this?”

He shook his head. “Open the box,” he replied. Ulquiorra had spent weeks looking for the perfect bracelet for Orihime to mark this occasion in her life. He hoped she would like it.

She smiled down at the box and slid a finger under a fold in the wrapping, pulling away the paper and opening the box slowly. When she saw what was inside, her eyes widened. It was sparkly and had stones in it… clear stones… She looked up at his face to see if his expression would give away anything, because if she wasn’t mistaken, she was looking at a silver bracelet with diamonds on it. Not only diamonds, but the links were fashioned into infinity symbols. “This is… This is beautiful,” she stammered.

“It’s for you. You deserve it for all the hard work you’ve done since I’ve met you,” Ulquiorra said to her before he kissed her properly this time. “What are you doing after this?”

“I’m free as a bird. Are you going back to work?”

Ulquiorra shook his head. “No, today is about you, and I plan on spending every moment I can with you.”

She beamed a grin at him and smushed it into his lips. When she backed off, she sighed and said, “Wanna get some lunch and show off my pretty new bracelet?”

A small smile played over his mouth. “Absolutely,” he replied. “Ladies' choice.”

She nodded. “Okay. Oh! Do you think we can get brunch at Dorrie’s? They’re still serving, right? I just don’t want to go anyplace where I’ll feel overdressed,” she said, taking his hand and pulling. She stopped after a few steps. “I have no idea where I’m going. Did you drive here?”

“I did drive myself here,” he replied. Ulquiorra took her hand and started leading Orihime towards the parking lot.

After he opened the door for her, she unzipped her graduation gown, shrugged out of it, and folded it before setting it, her cap, and flowers on the floor of the backseat. When she stood back up, she shook out her hair and smiled at him before folding herself into the car. The dress she wore was fitted and made her take some care to do it. She was proud of the dress though, and was happy to be showing it off, despite the cold making her skin raise in small bumps on her exposed shoulder.

“Wow,” Ulquiorra stated as he stared at Orihime. She looked absolutely gorgeous in the form-fitting dress. “You look amazing. I’m glad that you had that gown on. Otherwise I would have had to sneer at someone to get them to leave you alone.”

She narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head with a disbelieving smile. “You’re funny.”

“Why do you say that? You are an amazing person. You’re beautiful. Any man who had a brain would want you.”

“Well, too bad for them. I love you and there is nothing they can do about it,” she replied with a tinkling laugh. “Thank you for being there today.”

Ulquiorra looked at his girlfriend for a moment. He studied her face before he took a deep breath. He was feeling all kinds of emotions. Most of them were good. “Where else would I be? I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”

She watched his face and took a few slow breaths, then nodded. “Nowhere,” she sighed, smiling, as she leaned back into her seat and strapped herself in. She fiddled with the bracelet in the box and put it onto her wrist as he started the car.

He started driving toward the place she wanted to go. “What are your plans now that you’ve graduated?”

“Well, that’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about. Next month I’m going away for ten days for my book tour. After I come back, Mr. Kuchiki has asked me to write another book. Renji told me he is happy to have me stay at RBM, and even let me do both, but he thinks I should focus on my books. I think, for now, it’s a good idea. Since he sent me away, I’ve been getting full time benefits like insurance and stuff, and it seems like it is a good idea to hang onto those,” she said with a little chuckle. 

“You never know if your next book will be successful. It’s smart to keep a steady job though, unless you want to make writing childrens’ books a full time thing,” Ulquiorra replied as he drove. He glanced at her. “A book tour for ten days?”

She puckered her lips a moment, then replied, “Yeah. I don’t suppose you want to, or feasibly can, take some time off and come with me?” she suggested half-heartedly. “It’s only ten days, but it will be lonely without you. I’ll survive, though.”

He took a deep breath and then exhaled. “As much as I would want to do that, it’s my responsibility to help run Coffee & Sadness. We can talk and text while you’re away. Maybe video calls?”

She hummed and nodded. It was the answer she expected. “I know. That will work. And Renji says I’ll be pretty busy. Apparently he’s coming along this time instead of Julie. I think he’s trying to get promoted to account manager or something. He’s getting kind of old to be a glorified gofer.”

This made Ulquiorra chuckle. “He’s not that old, is he? What? Late twenties?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yeah, he’s staring down thirty and he’s feeling the pressure I think. He’s been seeing Kuchiki’s baby sister for awhile. I think he feels like he needs to be in a more respectable position before he can get more serious with her, though. At least that’s what Susan says.”

He was silent as he pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and then turned the car off. “I’m never going to change my profession. I think mysterious barista fits me well,” he said.

She looked at him and smiled. “Good. I can’t imagine a world in which you do not make my coffee. I don’t want to live in such a world,” she said with a chuckle, although her eyes were serious.

“It would be a bleak existence,” Ulquiorra replied. “Let’s go get brunch.”

***

They ended up staying at brunch for a few hours. They had mimosas to toast her achievement and bandied about silly ideas for her new book. They talked about the ceremony and how his own graduation compared.

Orihime had not had the chance before to really appreciate how easy it was to talk to him. When they hung out alone, they often spent long stretches of time in comfortable silence, happy to just be near each other or snuggle. And although she knew they had an easy time making banter and chatting in the shop, they had never had a long time to talk like this since that night she had invited him to Starrk’s over a year ago. 

As she listened to him explain his ideas for February’s menu and hand the check back to their waiter, she found herself falling into his eyes, mesmerized by the sound of his voice and the subdued excitement in his features. Man, she had it bad for him. She probably had stars in her eyes. She didn’t care.

It was her accomplishment and the idea he was knocking around that caused him to be in such a good mood. Ulquiorra normally didn’t drone on about things, but he was in a rare chatty mood, so he probably dominated the conversation while they dined. It didn’t matter. Orihime would need to get used to these spells. After they exited the building and got back into the car, he turned towards her. “Where would you like to go next? Home to change?”

She smiled at him. She was in such a great mood. “I think that is a good idea. As nice as it feels to look fancy, it feels nicer to be in clothes made for wrinkling. I need some Ulquiorra snuggle time, I think. Does that work?”

“We can snuggle after we arrive at our destination.” He smiled at her. Ulquiorra was planning on showing Orihime his home in Highland Park. Maybe it would give her some perspective on his life.

“Oooh! Intrigue, how fun,” she purred. “Do I need adventure shoes, or will these do?”

Ulquiorra looked down at her feet and then raised an eyebrow. “Do you think you’ll be able to walk through eight-thousand square feet of space with those on?”

She had no idea how to visualize that much space. “Maybe I should stop at home for something a little more practical?” she asked. Was he taking her to a convention? A park? It seemed kind of cold for that.

“Comfortable clothing and shoes--well, you can wear any shoes you want up there. You may not need them once we get there.” Ulquiorra didn’t say anything more as he headed towards Orihime’s apartment. 

She was getting a little nervous now, but in an excited way. She was glad that she kept a bag half-packed at her place at all times, these days. She spent the night at Ulquiorra’s enough to make it a practical thing to do. It wouldn’t take more than three minutes to throw some clothes and essentials in there, just in case, and change her clothes. “Alright. Well, you’ll have to come up and help me out of this dress if you want to get going soon; it is tricky.”

Ulquiorra bit his lip and then looked at Orihime. She was tempting him in a good way. He gave a nod. “I don’t see how pulling a zipper down can be tricky, but I can lend a helping hand,” he stated.

They arrived a moment later, Orihime leading the way to her apartment. After the door was shut, she had him take a seat for a moment as she got her bag together and chose some comfortable clothing for the secret adventure, then called to him, “I’m ready, can you lend me a hand now?”

He stood and wiped his hands on his trousers. He made his way to Orihime’s bedroom and opened the door. “Are you ready?”

She stood with her back to him and looked over her shoulder. “I am.”

Ulquiorra walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders before he brushed her hair to the side. His head lowered to where her shoulder met her neck and he placed his mouth on the spot. “I am taking you to my childhood home today,” he murmured against her neck.

Her mouth formed a small circle and she drew soft, audible breath through it. “Wow, this is… This is exciting,” she said as she exhaled. “Am I going to get an inside track into who you are? Will mysteries be revealed?” She wasn’t teasing him with these questions; she meant them. 

His hands roamed down her back and he found the zipper, pulling on it gently. “I don’t know. I will never reveal everything about myself, just the bigger things.”

“No?” she asked, turning around in his hands after the zipper was undone. “You like to keep me guessing?”

Ulquiorra shook his head. “I just don’t have a lot to tell,” he said quietly before kissing her shoulder again. “I don’t like remembering my past.”

She reached up and cradled his head into the crook of her neck and kissed his in return, her other hand smoothing out the fabric of his sleeve. “It may not be pleasant to think about your past, but it made you the man you are now, and I am grateful for you,” she murmured into his skin. “I hope we can build memories together that you want to remember. Maybe one day we’ll have enough that it will make those bad memories feel small and insignificant in comparison.”

He straightened up after a moment and gazed at Orihime. “You accept the good and the bad then?” He asked. “Woman, I love you. Get your stuff and let’s go.”

She nodded, both in answer to his question and to his suggestion. “I just need to slap some jeans and a sweater on,” she said, turning around again and shrugging out of her dress. She laid it on her bed to breathe before unstrapping her heels and turning to her dresser. She didn’t even blink an eye that Ulquiorra was still in the room as she pushed her feet through the legs of her jeans and pulled on a sweater. She sat on her bed to put some socks on and looked over at him as she finished. “I’m ready,” she announced.

Ulquiorra swallowed and tried calming himself. He looked up and down Orihime’s body with a wanting expression. He craved her touch badly. He wanted to make love to her all night. He wanted to be with her. “Good. I’m ready to show you a part of myself.” 

She hopped up and grinned at him, noticing a somewhat suffering look on his face. She could guess why. “I’m looking forward to it,” she said, grabbing her bag off of the floor before approaching him, letting a hand trail down his chest as she passed by to lead the way to the front door. 

***

Orihime hadn’t really known what to expect after Ulquiorra pressed a button inside of his car that opened the automatic gate and drove onto his property. Her mouth opened slightly and a soft breath came out before she was able to formulate words. “Wow… this is, um… Big.”

“It’s where I grew up,” Ulquiorra said as he came to a stop in front of the house. He looked at the place through the windshield, trying to remember the details about the dwelling. “Intimidating?”

“Um, well, I’m not _afraid_ of it. I’m sure it’s not sentient,” she said with a nervous chuckle. “I may get lost, though,” she joked, the sass trailing off as her eyes swept over the pale stone exterior up to the slate-shingle roof. It looked like someone still lived there; the windows sparkled and the seasonally dormant garden looked neat and well-cared for. 

“It has six bedrooms and six baths. There are too many rooms and too much space,” Ulquiorra replied. He patted his girlfriend’s leg before he turned the car off and then opened the door. “We’re only spending the night here and maybe most of tomorrow. There’s not really a point to hang around longer since we can’t use the beach.” 

She nodded, still looking at the house, and then her vision drifted down to his hand on her leg. “Sounds good to me,” she said. 

Ulquiorra smiled at her before he exited the car. Then he went to the back of the car and opened the trunk to get their bags out. “What else sounds good to you?” he asked.

“Lots of things. A tour, perhaps? Food? Your voice? Um…” she trailed off as she closed the car door behind her. She looked back up at him with a mild blush on her cheeks. “Let’s start with going inside? It’s pretty cold.”

It was freezing outside, so pretty cold was just an understatement. Ulquiorra was glad he had enough brains to call Maggie, the housekeeper, to inform her that he would be up there for a couple of days. The woman had been knocking around in this house for years. She practically raised Ulquiorra, with Aizen checking in whenever he came back from a business trip. 

The green-eyed man took Orihime’s hand then led her to the front door. It was unlocked and he turned the knob, opening it effortlessly. “Welcome to my childhood home, Orihime.”

To say she was impressed would be an understatement. She actually gasped when she stepped through the threshold and saw the large winding staircase and the deep open space beyond it leading to a pristine living room, bright sunlight filtering through the large paned windows which lined the entire rear of the house. “Thank you. Um… You really lived here?”

“Until I left for college. I’m sure Maggie is around here. She was my parent’s maid and my nanny and I just kept her on,” Ulquiorra said as he closed the front door. He watched Orihime carefully. He knew this was a big adjustment.

“Ah, I hear a voice!” came a motherly tone. “It’s the master of the house!”

Ulquiorra turned to see an overweight woman with bright red hair come through one of the doors that were off the main entryway. “Maggie. Orihime this is Maggie. Maggie, this is Orihime, my girlfriend.”

Orihime didn’t mean to step halfway behind Ulquiorra, but she did. She didn’t even realize she did it. She briefly let her eyes flicker to Maggie’s and her cheeks turned bright red. “Hello,” she said quietly and then smiled at the ground, wishing it might swallow her up. Her experience with motherly figures had, until this point, been about seventy percent awful. 

She took a slow breath then, and realized she wasn’t being fair. Maybe this woman was more like Kathy. She looked back up and offered her smile to the older woman, stepping out of Ulquiorra’s shadow. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said.

The woman’s eyes widened in surprise and then a smile came over her face. “She’s a redhead! Ha! I knew it! You always did have a soft spot for people with outrageous hair colors, Ulquiorra. Welcome to the Cifer estate, Orihime. It’ll be a pleasure to have you two here for a couple of days. I’ll be done with supper around six, if you find yourselves hungry.”

Orihime’s smile widened. “Oh, that sounds great,” she said cheerfully. She smiled at Ulquiorra and wrapped her hand around the inside of his elbow. “Six is good, right?” They still had a few hours before then.

Ulquiorra looked at the maid and then at the woman at his side before nodding. “I’m going to show Orihime around. We’ll be in the kitchen at six,” he replied.

The older woman smiled brightly and then nodded as she disappeared through the doorway, leaving the two alone.

“Well? So far so good?”

“So far? It feels like I’m in a movie. And she seems great,” she said, following his lead as he moved from the spot.

Ulquiorra nodded. Maggie was great, but there were times she was a terror; like when he got in trouble and such. “She’s a good woman. Knowing Maggie, she’s likely stocked everything for us to be here.” He led her through a door and gestured around the room. “This is the entertaining room or formal living room. There’s a library through the door over there. There’s a bath off of the library. There’s a servant’s hallway that connects to the foyer. The other side of the foyer leads to the family room, kitchen and dining area. The basement has an entertainment room with a bar, a theater, and an exercise room.” 

Orihime took a step back from him, and then another. She tilted her head to the side as she compared the man that she loved to the space around him. It seemed so weird. It was almost unbelievable. A small smile pulled at one side of her lips as her eyes kept drifting around the elegant space and back to him, and finally she chuckled softly and took his hand, the one with the word LUST tattooed on the knuckles, and let her fingertips ghost over them.

He glanced at her and then turned his head to fully look at Orihime. A small smile played over his mouth. “What?” he asked. “What’s funny?”

She shook her head and chuckled a bit more loudly. “It’s not funny-funny, it’s just… It’s hard to imagine you, a little mouse in this huge house, and see you now. You are like this… Like now you are this grown man with this mysterious expression and tough-looking style. Like, how does this go together? It does, though. You don’t look out of place, but I don’t know how that is possible. Your apartment is more you. This place… It’s beautiful, but I think this is more your parents and you, than just you? Am I expressing myself clearly? I don’t know. I am barely thinking clearly.”

“You’re right about this being more of my parents and less of me. I’ve not changed much since I inherited this place. I updated appliances and some furniture, but a lot of it is things my mother picked out,” Ulquiorra said. He grabbed Orihime’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Would you like to see the upstairs and my childhood room?”

Her eyes gleamed. “Yes! Take me up there!” she cheered. This is what had her more excited than anything, although she had been blown away by everything else, so far.

He shook his head and chuckled before he walked with Orihime to where the staircase sat. He took her up the winding flight of stairs. “This place is much easier on the knees than my apartment building, so that has to be a plus,” he joked.

She agreed. “Yeah, it is. Though I must say, my butt looks better in my leggings these days, so there are its own pluses,” she joked. Then he opened the door to his room and she became quiet. She stood in the doorway as he entered, her gaze taking in a bookshelf full of trophies, baseballs, a basketball, and a football full of autographs and a framed, signed Bulls jersey hanging on the wall beside his bed. After he turned to look at her, she asked, “Sports? I wouldn’t have expected that.”

“Aizen.” Ulquiorra walked into the room and turned around to look at Orihime. This was just a room he slept in. There were no fond memories of this room and there was nothing personal that screamed it belonged to him. “He tried to influence me to go into sports and I always did things like golf, tennis, and lacrosse. You know, sports that were boring. I do believe my uncle has courtside season Bulls tickets. I know he does, because whenever I see him, he talks about the games. When I was little and couldn’t make decisions for myself he put me into those sports. ”

“Well, apparently you were good at them,” she muttered as she crossed into the room to examine the trophies. “It’s impressive. Do you still sleep in this room when you come up here?” She left the question of whether they would be sleeping in this room unasked.

Ulquiorra shook his head. “I have not slept in this room since I left. I am the master of this place and I sleep in the master bedroom.”

“The master, eh?” she said in a mock challenge. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

His eyebrow rose and Ulquiorra tilted his head slightly. “Oh will you?” he asked, almost sauntering over to where she stood. “My patience with myself is wearing thin and I could very well take you now or tonight.”

“Hmmm,” she hummed to herself. She thought he was talking big. Underneath it all, past the cold exterior and the layers of armor that guarded his true feelings, she was pretty convinced that he was a sentimental guy who had his heart set on what he was waiting for. “We’ll see, I guess,” she said, putting a hand on his shoulder and raising up to kiss his cheek.

What he said was true. Ulquiorra was getting fed up with himself and his boundaries and hangups. He was driving himself crazy with lust and desire concerning her. He pulled her closer to him, his hands reaching down to grab her ass. “We will see, because we are sleeping in the same room and in the same bed tonight.”

“Show me,” she purred, enjoying the way his hands felt on her. She wouldn’t be hard to convince, she knew, if he decided to change his mind and have sex with her before Christmas. “I want to put my stuff away.”

“Or you want to drive me crazy,” he mused before he kissed her. When Ulquiorra broke the kiss he intertwined their hands and walked out of the room he used as a child before he walked and stopped at the door at the end of the hall. Without any fanfare, he opened only one of the double doors and stepped aside to let Orihime into the room first. 

“Wow, nice,” she commented, looking around the space as she walked toward the dresser to the left of the large bed and set her backpack beside it, glancing at the oversized fireplace across the room. Then, following an impulse, she jumped up and let her body flop onto the fluffy white down comforter atop the bed. When her body stopped bouncing, she said, slightly muffled as she sank into the bedclothes, “Fancy!”

His smirk turned into a full fledged grin, showing teeth. “You’re adorable when you do dorky things like that,” he remarked. 

“I’m glad you like it, because I am dorky,” she said with a giggle. She was grinning, too, not that he could see much of it.

Ulquiorra walked over to the bed and grabbed Orihime’s ankle before dragging her over to him. The bed made her the perfect height to match his. “You are irresistible. You are gorgeous. You are brilliant. You are my girlfriend and I’m glad that we’re finally going to be spending time together; making our own memories.”

Her grin softened and her chest felt tight. “I love you,” she said softly, looking up at him as she felt the emotion press into her.


	34. Horrible Questions that Needed to be Asked

Unfortunately, Ulquiorra could not make good on his promise to ravish Orihime. Maggie called for him to come downstairs. He made Orihime come with him and entered the kitchen to see a small spread of snack foods set out.

“I made you something to tide you over until supper. I’m going to be downstairs doing laundry. Is Orihime going to require a room of her own?” Maggie asked as she hefted a basket on her hip. “There’s a bottle of white wine sitting on the counter if ya want it.”

The green-eyed man shook his head. “No, we will be staying in the master suite,” he answered, then looked at Orihime. “Would you like a glass of wine and a snack?”

“That sounds great,” she said, looking up at him with a smile and raising her brows suggestively. “I could use a snack for sure.”

As soon as Maggie disappeared, Ulquiorra stood behind Orihime, grabbing her hips with his hands. “You would have been a snack for me. For now though, I guess I’ll get some real food to eat.”

She bit her lip and nodded. “For now…”

“You tempt me,” he replied, bending his head down and kissing her softly. Ulquiorra had to break the kiss off because he was quickly becoming aroused. “Come, let me serve you.”

She blushed at the idea. “Okay,” she replied shyly. “After you, I suppose.”

Taking Orihime’s hand, Ulquiorra led her over to the counter where Maggie had laid out some fruit, nuts, cheese, and crackers. He couldn’t help notice there were figs, peaches, bleu cheese and gorgonzola laid out. He had a tiny smirk on his face. “Well it looks like Maggie has your number,” he remarked.

“How?” she asked, totally mystified. “How would she know that?”

The smile on his face got bigger. “I might have told her that you liked my cheese plates,” Ulquiorra said. He lifted Orihime’s hand and gave it a kiss before he grabbed one of the small glass plates and handed it to her. He then filled one of the wine glasses halfway from the wine bottle. “Please help yourself. I can get you some honey if you want to recreate my dish.”

“Maybe, let’s have a seat first and have a toast,” she proposed, holding her glass up.

Ulquiorra filled his own glass and touched the rim of it to Orihime’s before he said, “What shall we toast to? Your new status as a college graduate or to us?”

“I think graduating is exciting, but I’m more excited about what’s next. Graduation is an ending. We are just beginning, aren’t we?”

His eyes regarded her for a moment. She was correct. One chapter of Orihime’s life was ending and a new one was beginning and he was going to be there for it. “Yes, we’re just beginning. Let’s sit down and we can talk.”

“Okay,” she said, clinking her glass to his and taking a sip before sitting down at the informal dining table in the kitchen. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Anything? Everything? What are your plans now? What are some of your goals? Maybe find a mindless quiz on some blog site and we’ll answer them to find out more about each other?” 

Her eyes narrowed. This was the kind of thing she secretly loved. “You know me better than you think, I think,” she murmured and pulled her phone out. “I know just the blogger.”

He took a sip of wine before he raised an eyebrow. She knew just the blogger? This worried him somewhat. Ulquiorra filled his plate and then Orihime’s before he went to sit down at the kitchen island. “Do you know a lot of bloggers?” he asked.

“Not personally; it’s just someone I follow. They do horoscopes and personality tests and interesting “asks”. We can pick something from there, if you like.” She smiled down at her phone. “How about this one? Sixty horrible questions you can ask?” 

“Horrible questions you can ask? That doesn’t sound like a good bonding experience,” he stated. 

“They aren’t that bad,” she murmured as she sent him the link to his phone. “See for yourself. We can take turns picking ones from the list.”

His eyes scanned the list, his face remaining passive until he saw some of the questions. These were ridiculous. “Okay, I’ll start off. Uh, number nineteen, would you go back in time if you were given the chance?”

She glanced at her phone to see the question he had read as she thought about her answer, humming thoughtfully. “No,” she finally answered. “Would you?”

“Hmmm, maybe. I would have tried to find you before other men broke your heart,” he replied, popping a grape into his mouth. He chewed silently for a moment and watched Orihime.

Her face crumpled into a pout, but she refrained from saying, _“aw”_. “I love you,” she mumbled. “I hope that if you had, I would have been mentally strong enough for you then.”

A hint of a smile graced his mouth and Ulquiorra’s face colored slightly. “Your turn,” he said.

She nodded and looked back down at her phone. “Hmm, okay. How about… Huh, I should have done this quiz before.” She huffed a laugh and shook her head. “Just to be crystal clear, number twenty-two. Do you have any kids? How many?”

“Absolutely not. I do not want kids. I do not have kids. I’m assuming that your answer is no and none, right?”

“Right,” she replied, and looked up at his face with a slightly playful smirk. “Your turn.”

He scanned the list again as he took a drink. He smiled at one question. “Your best friend from the opposite sex loves you, what do you do?”

She shrugged. “Depends who he is. If the chemistry is right, go for it. All in. Why waste time?” she said, blushing a deep shade of pink. “Your answer?”

“Hmmm,” he hummed. “But you didn’t go for it. You wasted how long with Grimmjow?” Ulquiorra hadn’t meant for that question to come out. 

Her shoulders dropped and she looked at him seriously, but there was no hardness in her eyes. “Too long. That was a learning experience for me. I didn’t think I deserved happiness. I thought it was wiser to take what I was given and be grateful.” She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry.”

It was something. Ulquiorra gave a nod, accepting her apology. “Your go,” he said.

She shook her head. “You didn’t answer.”

“Um. You’re the closest thing I have to a best friend. I went for you.”

She raised one eyebrow and tilted her chin a bit. “Kind of, in a way,” she said under her breath and smiled. She wasn’t sure how much “going for it” he had done before she went away. She didn’t know because she knew she was a horrible judge of what others thought of her. She decided back off the pressure of the questions for one go. “Okay, number fifty-one, is it cute when a person of the opposite sex calls you baby?”

He picked up a piece of cheese and put it into his mouth as he thought about this question. The only person to try this had been Rangiiku. He hated it. “No it’s not. My name is my name and I do not like pet names or nicknames. You?”

She mirrored his action, going for a grape. “I don’t mind. I used to like it; not that I was called “baby”, exactly, but pet names in general don’t bother me.”

“What did Grimmjow call you?” Ulquiorra asked. 

She pursed her lips slightly before she answered, “Princess.”

“Do you believe in soul mates?” Ulquiorra asked picking a question from the list. He knew he would never call Orihime anything other than her name, and “woman”, but that was more of a description than a nickname. He had to wonder why Grimmjow would call her princess.

“I don’t know,” her eyes drifted off to the side. It wasn’t a concept she had ever spent any significant time contemplating. Her index finger rubbed a spot on the tabletop for a second before looking back at him. “I am open to the possibility. You?”

Ulquiorra shook his head. He had never himself interested anyone enough to consider that a possibility. “Not until I met you,” he murmured.

Her smile was pretty, but it came on before she knew it, and she quickly hid it by looking back down at her phone. She felt a bit flustered. “Yeah…” she agreed. “My turn?”

He nodded and took Orihime’s hand. “Something wrong?”

She shook her head and looked up at him slowly, making a conscious effort to slow her breathing. “No, I just..” Another deep breath. “What’s the status of your relationship?”

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow and peered at her. “Meaning? With whom? Concerning a romantic relationship, I am happily taken and occupied.”

She chuckled. “I don’t know, I didn’t write the question, I just read it. But concerning a romantic relationship, same. Locked down tight and not looking for escape.”

“Number three. Do you regret anything?”

“Yes and no. I regret being born to my mother. I regret not being enough to stop my brother from dying. I regret not allowing myself to believe that I deserved happiness. I regret meeting Grimmjow before I met you. I regret believing his lies and thinking that even if they were not true, I probably deserved it. I regret not being brave enough to tell you how I felt or to tell Grimmjow off. But despite all that, I don’t feel regretful. My path led me here, tonight, and that makes up for everything,” she said and then looked at him with a hint of a smile and took a sip of her wine. “Regrets for you?”

“I regret not kissing you on Halloween. I regret letting Grimmjow walk all over you and respecting your boundaries,” he replied.

She nodded. “When was your last physical fight?”

Ulquiorra gave her a quizzical look. “When I stabbed Luppi, that was the first and last fight I was in. Wait, no, I punched Nnoitra; it was around the time you started your exams.”

“Well, I can’t say I’m disappointed to hear that you got one in on him. He was the last time for me, too, although it wasn’t much of a fight,” she replied, twisting her lips to the side. “Thanks again for that night. He was either going to kill me or worse.”

“I would have killed him. I would have gone back to prison if he had done that,” Ulquiorra stated. His expression was dead serious and he eyed Orihime. “I wouldn’t have regretted it.”

A cold fear lanced through her, but it wasn’t that she was afraid of him. Her eyes watered a bit and she gripped the edge of the table for a moment before she quietly stood and walked around the table to stand beside him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, “Thank you,” before squeezing. She didn’t move after that.

His arms slipped around her and he held her tight. “Come on. Enough of these questions. Let’s cuddle on the couch in front of the fireplace and watch a movie.”

She nodded into the side of his neck and didn’t let go for a couple more moments, blinking the moisture in her eyes into his hair and breathing his comforting scent. When she stood she took his hand and pulled. “I’m ready.”

“Are you though? Are you ready for all this and the baggage I carry? Are you ready for my lifestyle?” Ulquiorra cupped her face with his hand and studied Orihime. “When you get back from your book tour, I’d like for you to consider moving in with me, or at least staying at my place during the week.”

She pressed her lips together and took a slow, deep breath. “Let’s talk about that baggage. The lifestyle might require a bit of an adjustment period. Trial and error is what I’m anticipating.” She paused and took another deep breath. Her emotions were threatening to overwhelm her. “I would fail a million times and try again for you.”

Ulquiorra stared at his girlfriend. Maybe this conversation was more suited for a private space rather than the couch that stood across the room. “Let’s go upstairs.”

She nodded and followed him as he led the way up the stairs and back to the master bedroom. She passed through the door and walked directly to the bed, sitting on the edge and watching him as he closed the door and turned back around to face her. “So?”

The green-eyed man looked at her before he sighed. “I have no parents. I wasn’t raised in a loving home. Pretty much anyone I’ve been with has betrayed me. I have trust issues and I guess I have abandonment issues. There are times when I seem distant. Do you think you can handle this?”

She nodded once. “I, too, don’t have an ideal background. I have trust and abandonment issues, too. There  _ will _ be times when I will be overwhelmingly clingy. There will be times when I will have difficulty trusting you, I think. Can you handle it?”

“It will be something we need to work on, yes?” To his ears it sounded like an uncertain question, but there was a lot of unknown in front of him… in front of them.

She offered him a timid smile. “Like I said, I would fail a million times and try again, if it’s with you.”

Ulquiorra had to swallow the emotions that were building in his throat. He gave Orihime a nod and then joined her where she sat on the bed. “I will do the same.”

Her palm found his and her fingers wove between his. “I want to be with you, Ulquiorra. If you want me to move in with you, I will.”

Ulquiorra gave a nod. “We will discuss this further when your book tour is over,” he replied.

“Okay.” She felt like he was ending the conversation for now, which was fine. She leaned her head to rest on his shoulder. “I want to take a picture of us.”

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime. “A picture of us? I’ve not taken a picture of myself in a couple of years.”

“Afraid you won’t show up in them? I know the feeling,” she said with a smile. “But I have lots of pictures of you. They’re just not photographs. I don’t have any photos of myself, really, either.”

“Are you sure?” he replied. “Are you really sure you want some tattooed sad looking guy in a photo with you?”

“Let me tell you what I see when I look at you, then you tell me if you think I’d like to be in a picture of you or not,” she said, pausing to make sure she had his attention.

“Tell me, then,” he said. “Because that’s what I see when I look in the mirror.”

“I see that, sometimes.” She picked up their hands and traced the tops of his fingers with hers, running them over his bat and other talisman-looking tattoos. “I also see a craftsman. An artisan. I see someone with exceptional work ethic and a strong will to succeed.” She brought the hand to her mouth and kissed it. “I see someone quietly charming and thoughtful.” 

She put his hand on her chest and held it there. “I see someone who sees me, and that’s all that I’ve ever wanted,” she whispered, her eyes beginning to water.

“No tears, my woman. Please,” he said, using his other hand to caress her cheek. “I see things in you too. I see a great artist. I see an imaginative creator. I see a woman who can stand up for herself. I see a lover who is kind and patient. I see a wallflower who blooms when in the right company. I see a woman who has captured my heart, because she and I are alike in a lot of ways.”

She blinked and smiled at him. “You have my heart, too, Ulquiorra. You’ve had it. It’s been yours for awhile.

“You’ve always had my heart.”

***

Ulquiorra prolonged their visit because Maggie seemed to enjoy having them in the house. He wanted to show Orihime around the house more. They had a great time, but now it was Christmas Eve and he stood in front of the fireplace in his apartment, watching the flames. Sometimes he wished that he had opted for a real fireplace instead of a gas one. Watching the fire consume the logs was much more satisfying than watching the ceramic logs surrounded by gas fueled flames.

Orihime would be there soon. He already had their dinner waiting on the kitchen island. It was mostly finger foods; stuff he wouldn’t normally eat, but he had promised her a fun night. He wasn’t even sure he was going to go through with what he wanted to do.

It had been almost four months since they started this companionship, and while he felt like he was waiting for the perfect moment to transform their relationship into something more, Ulquiorra held back. None of the moments he had been presented with were perfect for him. Many had come close, but none screamed that tonight was the night that he fell head first in love with this woman who turned his entire universe upside down. 

Orihime had gone through her mental checklist, and, in an unusual move compared to her regular organized chaos, she made an actual list that she compared with the mental. She had everything. It was just a matter of tossing it into her car and driving over to Ulquiorra’s.

They’d been talking about this for a long time. He had held out. She had been able to deal with it, which was a miracle. Not that they were perfect angels, but neither of them had pushed past the boundary he had set. Now she felt a lot of nervous energy. The downside of this plan was that it put a lot of pressure on them.

Did it have to, though?

She stopped at her hallway mirror and checked her face one last time before she locked up and left. No, it didn’t have to. She was determined to stop thinking about it.

She had to remind herself to stop thinking about it once every fifteen seconds or so, but it was the thought that counted.

When she got to Ulquiorra’s, she rang the buzzer on the door that led to the alleyway behind the shop and waited.

Ulquiorra looked at the intercom system and saw Orihime standing at the door. He walked over to where the buttons were on the console and pressed the one that would unlock the door to let her into the building.

She came in, hoisting her big bag onto her shoulder, and started up the three flights of stairs. By the time she got to the top, she knocked, not bothering to wait to get her breath under control first. It would add to the effect; she had a santa hat and a fake beard on.

Ulquiorra opened the door. His brow furrowed and his mouth twitched for a moment before he burst out in laughter. “What is this?” he asked.

“Ho ho ho, merry Christmas Eve, Ulquiorra!” Orihime said, mimicking a Father Christmas-style voice. “Have you been naughty or nice this year?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know, Mrs. Claus, have I been naughty? I think I’ve been really nice this year,” he said as he stood to the side and let her in. “Honestly Woman, where did you get that getup?”

“The dollar store,” she said in a cheerful version of her regular voice, pulling the beard down for a moment to kiss his cheek as she passed. Then, back in Father Christmas mode, she said, “I think I saw your name on my “nice” list, so you deserve a treat.”   
  


After she removed her shoes, she set her bag down next to the sofa and bent over to get something out of it. When she stood a moment later, she had a cookie tin in each hand. “A treat from Aunt Kathy,” she said, holding one hand out further than the other, “And one from me,”she concluded, repeating the gesture with the other hand.

Ulquiorra took both and then set Orihime’s tin down before he pried the lid off the one Kathy had given him. “I take it she liked our gift basket?” he inquired as he looked at the gingerbread men. There was a hint of a smile on his face as he glanced back up at her. 

“She did. I told her we would facetime her tomorrow afternoon, if you don’t mind. She loved the basket. See?” she said, pointing to a cookie decorated with the word, “hazelbutt!” on it in white icing.

He nodded and put the lid back on before he reached for Orihime’s tin. This time it was filled with those cornflake cookies with the cinnamon candies on them. It was cute. It was also absolutely something Orihime would make. “It’s adorkably cute,” he mused. “The question is, have you been a good girl this year? Because I have a treat for you… and another one later tonight.”

She smirked at him. “Well… the jury is still out. I guess you’ll have to be the final arbiter on that one,” she said, pulling off the santa stuff and shaking out her hair.

Ulquiorra walked over to where his small tree sat and bent down to pick up a gift. It was bulky and wrapped somewhat neatly, but it wasn’t his best job since the object inside was awkward. “Well, I think you’ve been a good girl this year, so here is a gift from Santa,” he smirked at her before he handed the item to her.

She grinned at him and took the parcel, glancing down at it and then ripping the paper off unceremoniously. “Wow!” she crowed as a big bundle of chunky knitted fabric spilled out of it. “Is this a blanket?” she asked before she was able to straighten the thing out. It looked warm and the color was a very pretty shade of dark lake blue.

“A scarf, which, if I recall, you didn’t have last winter. I just wanted to make sure you were prepared this year,” Ulquiorra said.

“Aww,” she pouted, then stepped into him for a brief kiss. “You remembered that? Thank you, I love it!” she said, wrapping it around her neck.

He was happy that he remembered such details about her. Ulquiorra just hoped that she was happy with the rest of the gifts he had bought her. “So, uh… Did you have anything you wanted to put in my room since you’re staying a couple of days?”

She smiled at him, his words distracting her from nestling her cheeks into the fluffy scarf. “Yeah, I don’t have a ton of stuff, but that bag is it. There are a couple of surprises left in there, so I will handle it,” she said, moving back over to where she had left it. “Do you want both your presents tomorrow morning, or do you want one now?”

“Tonight is not Christmas. Tomorrow is. I was always raised that presents were to be opened on Christmas morning. The only reason I gave you the scarf is because I know you need one,” he said. “Do you want help with anything?”

“Nope,” she said, picking up the bag and taking it to his room. She left it and her scarf inside and returned with two wrapped packages, one small, one about the size of a magazine, and left them under the tree. 

“So,” she said, looking up at him after depositing the items. “In my house, growing up, my brother and I ate junk food and watched movies on Christmas Eve while Kathy was at work. I imagine you will want to break from that tradition,” she said with a chuckle.

Ulquiorra smiled at her but shook his head. “I have your assortment of junk food in the kitchen, but it’s “grown up” junk food. I also have Netflix ready and waiting for our viewing pleasure. I’ve also made peanut butter hot chocolate and several dessert items.”

“You spoil me,” she said in a sing-song voice as she walked over to the kitchen to spy on the goodies. “Also, the PB hot chocolate kind of links to my tradition; a jar of peanut butter with a spoon in it. It’s just missing the errant Cool Ranch Dorito crumbles.”

“I try to spoil you, but I did buy you small bags of Doritos. It’s the least I could do,” he replied. Ulquiorra took a deep breath and walked over to where Orihime stood. “I kind of want dessert first, though. What are your thoughts on that?”

“No objections,” she said, brows raising, wondering what he had in mind.

He swept her hair away from the side of her neck before he placed his lips there, kissing a trail up to her ear. “Are you sure?”

She bit her lip and sighed. “Even if I wasn’t, I’m pretty sure you could talk me into it,” she purred and closed her eyes.

“Really?” he murmured. His hands drifted up to her waist and slowly made their way to just under Orihime’s breasts. “Seriously, do you want food first, or would you like your other treat?”

“This is a really hard decision,” she whined. “You pick.”

“I asked you,” he said in a teasing manner before backing up. “It’s your present.”

It was still early. There would be plenty of time for movies and snacks, she thought, pressing her lips together and looking off to the side. Her eyes found his and she looked into their green depths for a few moments, trying to guess what was on his mind. Finally, she gave up. “Treat,” she decided.


	35. Together

He peered at her for a moment. He knew he had hinted at Christmas day sex, but he didn’t think Orihime would give in this easily. Then his brain registered what she said. “Hnnngh,” he growled, the tone deep and powerful. Ulquiorra stepped back from Orihime and took her hand, pulling her to the bedroom. As soon as they cleared the doorway, she was in his arms again, his hands worming their way under her sweater. “I expected you to resist more, though.”

“Resist? Ulquiorra… I have been waiting for the green light with my foot hovering over the pedal for months. I am not usually a racer, but I have never sat at the starting line this long,” she said with a giggle. She knew she sounded dorky. Again. Oh well.

A playful roll of his eyes and he shook his head. This was who his girlfriend was. She understood. Why had it taken him this long to find someone who finally understood him? She didn’t ask for anything except for his attention. She engaged him in intelligent conversation and knew when he wanted space or quiet. He kissed her, his lips coming down to hers. Desire filled him. “Well, I’m glad you understood me, but fuck eating right now. I know something else I want,” he murmured as he went for the spot just below her ear, sucking on the skin there. “I want you.”

She wanted him too, but she was surprised as she felt a whisper of intimidation in the back of her mind. It made her smile. She felt like it was proof that this was what they had wanted; for this to be special and important. “Me too,” she replied, feeling the rest of the breath in her lungs rush out after her words, tingles running down her body from where his lips touched her skin to where his hands held her ribs.

This was good, but he wanted something more. He wanted to see his woman naked and in his bed. Carefully he took a step away from Orihime and then grabbed the bottom of her top. Ulquiorra inched the material up until she slid her arms out of it. “You’re everything, you know.”

Orihime’s face was serious as she looked into his eyes and began to pull his shirt up his body. “I’m yours, Ulquiorra. I want to be yours. I want to wake up to these eyes and in these arms,” she murmured as his shirt cleared his head. Her hands dragged down his arms, and she watched them until they reached his hands, then she looked back to his face. “I love you.”

He gave her a smile and said, “I love you too. Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Ulquiorra asked as he took a step back from her, his hands going to the button of his jeans.

She smiled back at him and nodded. “I am. Whatever you want, Ulquiorra,” she said, the lusty tone of her voice shocking to her own ears. Her hands shook as they peeled his jeans and boxer briefs from his hips. “It’s yours.”

The smile on his face was almost smug as he stepped out of his clothes and stood naked in front of her. His cock was already hardening. “Take your pants off,” he said and walked over to the bedside table and brought out a box of condoms he had bought months ago. He ripped open the package and took one out before dumping the contents back into the drawer then throwing the box on the floor. He would pick it up later. 

She felt a shiver go through her as she pulled her leggings and panties down her legs, leaving them in a puddle at her feet along with her socks. 

“I’m not going to need lube am I?” he said, coming back over to her. His touch was gentle and fleeting as he stroked her arms, then chest, avoiding her tits. His hands splayed out against her stomach and slid down until he could hold her hips.

Ulquiorra smiled at her. He sat down on the bed and patted the space beside him. “Sit,” he said. “I want to watch you be on top of me, but at the same time, I just want to have your arms and legs around me as I slide in and out of you.”

“Ulquiorra…” she said his name on a breath and did as he said, putting a hand on his thigh and running it up toward his hips. She followed it to his center, wrapped her fingers around the base of his cock, and closed her eyes. He felt so perfect. Dry and warm Soft, unblemished skin over firm flesh and a few ropy veins. She let her hand glide up the length with a featherlight touch. A small laugh left her lips. “I almost can’t believe we’re doing this… After all this time.”

“Heh, did you think that you wouldn’t be doing this? I’ve thought about--Oooh,” he moaned as his hips rocked up. A long hiss of breath left him. “Fuck. I’ve thought about you so many times since I’ve met you.”

“I’ll tell you a secret,” she said, leaning toward him more and putting her lips to his ear. “So did I.”

He leaned over and kissed her on the mouth. His hand followed as he cupped one of her tits and squeezed. “I’ve been jerking off to you for months. I’ve wanted you for a long time,” he breathed. “I--I--”

She climbed onto his lap and slowly stroked him, her lips ghosting over his. “You what? You can tell me anything, Ulquiorra,” she breathed.

Oh fuck. He could feel the warmth radiating off her. “I love you,” he said. Ulquiorra moaned as she hit a sensitive spot on his dick.

Her scalp tingled and she kissed him. It was soft and sweet, at first. Her tongue lapped at his lips until they opened and she slid hers into his mouth. She wanted to drink him in. She could feel his words turning her insides to liquid. “Same,” she whispered, letting go of his cock and putting her arms around his neck to press the front of her body to his after her admission.

He looked at her before he lay back on the bed, taking her with him. “Yeah? Why? You’re special and beautiful. I’m lame.” Ulquiorra stroked her back trying to keep his dick from finding its way inside of her. As much as he wanted it, he wanted her to feel incredibly special for this.

She shook her head and smiled at him, her fingertips running through his hair. She was so wrapped up in her feelings that she forgot his whole scratching fetish, and she allowed her nails to make very light contact. “You are not lame. You are funny and sweet and respectful and kind to me. And you know I love how you look.”

“Orihime...” It was said in warning before he had them flipped over. “I’m about to show you another side of me.” He didn’t take his eyes off her as he grabbed his cock and started sliding the head against her, nuding her nether lips apart so that the underside could stimulate her clit.

She hissed at the contact. “Show me.”

With his free hand, he grabbed blindly for the condom, bringing it to his mouth to rip open the package. He sat back and rolled it onto his length, staring at her the entire time. “You want this, don’t you? You’re okay with this?”

She looked into his eyes and nodded. “I want you. I want this. Please.”

His teeth raked over his lip and he leaned over to kiss her. “Let me know how it feels, okay?” Ulquiorra let out a deep breath before he lined himself up and started pushing into her. His eyes shut as the warmth of her body engulfed the most sensitive part of his cock. When he opened his eyes a second later he looked at her. The lust had damped a bit and was replaced by something else; something he really couldn’t describe. It had been months since he had had sex, and this felt intense.

Orihime’s eyes shut tightly, and she squeaked as he stretched her. Her feet came up over the backs of his legs and dragged up to his knees. “Ulquiorra,” she cried softly. This was not what she had expected. When she had sex with Grimmjow and Uryu for the first time, she had felt excitement and curiosity; lust and fear. She felt all those things now, too, but this time she also felt like what they were doing was almost somber in its importance. This time she felt what she thought she was supposed to feel the first time she had sex. Her heart was in it.

Hearing his name fall from her mouth in such an emotional way made his chest fill with warmth. Truthfully, Ulquiorra hadn’t expected this. Orihime was here with him and she was breathtakingly beautiful, stretched out and splayed open as he seated himself in her. Right now he was only halfway inside of her core and he was feeling it. The way her body rippled and the way her walls contracted around him. “You feel so good Orihime.”

She didn’t have words. “Ulquiorra,” she whispered, pulling at his shoulders. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to be wrapped around him. “I need you,” she mouthed the words on his neck when it came into proximity, then latched onto it.

Orihime was pulling him down. She was sucking on his neck and then he felt his hips touch her body. He was inside of her. Tightness surrounded him. It really felt like she was trying to squeeze him out. He pulled away from her and looked at her face as he began moving. “Shhh,” Ulquiorra murmured as he kissed her. He used his tongue to caress hers at the same slow pace he was fucking her.

Her eyes closed. This was so intense. She could feel every ridge and vein on his sex as he pushed and pulled in and out of her at this deliciously slow pace. She couldn’t help the moans that came out of her nose as they kissed; the high-pitched pleas and sighs of contentment had no words attached. Her legs wrapped around his hips and she encouraged him each time he thrusted into her. She could feel her insides getting even more wet and searingly hot.

“Fuck,” he groaned as he moved with her. Ulquiorra’s hips and spine rolled with movement. She was so damn hot. He couldn’t think of anything else as he broke another kiss and propped himself up to stare at her face. She was beautiful. As he sat up straighter, Ulquiorra grabbed Orihime’s hips and started to shorten his strokes. He only took his eyes off hers to glance down at their bodies. “Oh fuck.”

Her eyes opened and saw the look on his face. She couldn’t believe this. She could not believe that Ulquiorra was inside of her. She couldn’t believe that after all this time they were finally together like this. He looked so perfect between her legs; so strong, so well-suited. His body was something she could draw forever and the look in his eyes as he looked down at them filled her with sexual confidence. “Ulquiorra…” she breathed again, not knowing what else to say as she began to pant softly.

He just quickened the pace again, using her hips to pull her closer. The bed was creaking and Ulquiorra watched her. Every time she said his name his hips snapped into her. It was unintentional, but he really liked how she said it. He wanted her to keep saying it. “Yes, Woman? Tell me. You look so hot like this. I can’t wait until we can do this again. I already want to fuck you again. You are gorgeous, Orihime; so hot and wet,” he told her.

Her features pinched a bit as she felt the first precursory sparks of pleasure wash through her, and her knees came up a bit as she squeaked. “Ooh, Ulquiorra,” she panted again and then she felt like she needed to hold onto something. Her hands couldn’t reach him. She touched her stomach and her hands rose up over her own body, over her breasts and face until they ended up over her head, gripping his pillow. “I could live in your bed,” she said after a particularly pleasurable thrust, causing her walls to tighten a bit in a distinct, winking sensation. She wasn’t coming yet, but she was well on her way.

“Heh, you want to? Be ready for me whenever I want? I don’t see myself getting a lot of work done if that was the case--Oooh,” he moaned as a shiver went through him. “We could just lay here together and make love all day and night.”

“We could,” she said in a tight voice, then gasped. “Oh!” she peeped next. The stimulation was building and she felt something that had been coiling inside of her threaten to snap. “Oh, Ulquiorra, Ulquiorra,” she bit her lip and closed her eyes. It wasn’t going to be long. Her walls were starting to twitch.

Snap. Snap. Snap. His body met hers three times with rapid thrusts. It felt good. It was pleasurable. It was hot. He could feel her body tensing under his hands. He could join her just as easily. He leaned over her and his eyes fell on her face. “Hold on.” As her arms snaked around his neck and her thighs tightened around him, Ulquiorra’s tempo became faster and faster. He was gritting his teeth against the sensation of her wet pussy around him. 

That was it. He was sending her over the edge. She could feel her body tense, her breath starting and stopping as she waited for it, and then everything broke. Her core throbbed and pulsed around him as the bands of muscles in her walls constricted on him. “Ulquiorra!” she shrieked as she came on him, then cried out loudly as he continued to move. It felt like she could only hold onto him as the sensation of her orgasm only grew sharper.

The growl that he breathed was low and only got louder as her orgasm intensified. “Yes, Orihime. Come on me,” he said to her. When her nails gently sank into his shoulders, Ulquiorra let go. His pacing became sloppy and finally he arched his back and stilled his hips. “Oh! Fuck!” The force of the pleasure he was feeling was overwhelming. He was almost never vocal during sex, but Orihime was making his brain melt in ways that he never knew existed.

Even as he stilled, her walls continued to suck on him, attempting to milk him dry. When the thumping sensation between her legs began to subside slightly, she opened her eyes again. She looked at Ulquiorra and waited. Part of her was afraid. Very afraid. An echo of the people in her past who had hurt her floated through her head, whispering ideas that now that he had her, his interest would wane. She raised her hand to his chest. “Ulquiorra?” she asked in a tiny, shaky voice.

He heard her. He was just trying to gather brain function to answer. After several seconds passed, Ulquiorra opened his eyes and looked at her. “Yes Orihime?” he asked in a quiet way.

Her throat constricted. Her eyes watered. She blinked several times and tasted bitterness in her mouth. “Um, do you… Do you…” She had to swallow. Her lower lip trembled. “I don’t want you to stop…” She covered her eyes with her hands. “Please tell me you still want me here tomorrow.”

He grabbed her wrists one at a time and then gently pinned them to the bed. Ulquiorra could not believe her words. Why would she think that? “Orihime, Woman, I want you here. I want you to stay here with me. I want you. I won’t stop. I want you with me. Please don’t cry. I love you.”

She opened her wet eyes and found his. She blinked frequently but otherwise held his gaze. “You’ve got me all wrapped around you, but not just like this. I think about you all the time. I wonder what you’re doing. I worry about your health. I think of you if I hear a good song and wonder if you’d like it. You’re always around me even if you’re not there. I don’t think you understand how much of my mind you occupy. It scares me sometimes.” The post-coital rush of emotions and brain chemicals allowed these words to flow out unfiltered.

“Hey, I think about you too. I wonder what you’re doing at night and during the day. I wonder if you’re happy or if you’ve eaten well. I think about you when I think of coffee and different flavor combinations. I think about you a lot. I’ve thought about you a lot since I came back,” Ulquiorra answered her. He slipped out of her and then laid beside Orihime, wrapping his arms around her. “You’ve been something I’ve constantly been thinking about since I saw your blog.”

She buried her face in his chest and inhaled deeply, memorizing the scent, as her arms went around his waist and her leg wrapped around his possessively. She nodded at his words and closed her eyes again. “I’m here now. I’m with you.” 

The thought was loud in her brain as she said it. She pulled her head back a bit and looked up at his face. “Ulquiorra, I’m  _ with _ you.” She laughed silently and kissed his chin. “This is so wild.”

A lazy smile came over his mouth and he laughed. “ You’re with me and yes, what we did means we’re together now. You can’t back out of this. You get me. You get the perks. You’re still going to pay five bucks for a latte though.” 

She rolled her eyes and a slow, quiet snort answered that comment. “What do I have to do to get free lattes? Buy you out?”

“Heh,” came the laugh. “Nothing. You can’t do anything. Do you really want free lattes?” Ulquiorra’s eyes slid over her form before they returned her face. 

“I don’t need free lattes. I need you. I’m just curious about whether there is a secret bonus move that gets me access.” She smiled at him fondly. “Damn. We have chemistry.”

A sigh left him. “We definitely have a thing.”

“A thing?” She was a bit confused. 

“A connection. We have that thread that draws us closer.”

She nodded. “Since the first time I saw you.”

He gave a nod. He wasn’t good with words about relationships and stuff. “Actions speak louder than words to me. I knew the moment I wanted to have you over for dinner was the moment I was going to be with you. The moment I gave you free coffee I knew we were going to be together.”

She smiled at him. “You did? You knew?” She dragged herself up his body and kissed him, then looked him in the eye. “And you kept making the stinkface at me?”

He flashed his brows at her. “It helps me keep the mystery man alive. It kept things interesting between us,” he said. Ulquiorra sighed again and then sat up. “I need a smoke and I need to clean up. You made a mess of me.”

She smirked. “You didn’t mind ten minutes ago.” The smirk grew into a grin. “Go. I’ll be here.”

Slipping from the bed, Ulquiorra left the bedroom to go to the bathroom, and when he came back he was wrapped in a long, thick bathrobe. He held another one in his hands. “This is my spare, but should you need it,” he said, handing it to the redhead. “I’m gonna go out on the balcony and will be back in five minutes.”

She took it and watched him with a small smile as she sat up. She waited until he was outside before she slipped out of bed, put on the robe, and went to the bathroom, cleaning herself off a bit. It was when she was combing through her hair with her fingers that she noticed the dark red blotches on her neck. That naughty boy.

She walked over to the balcony door and watched him smoke. Despite her general aversion to it, she had to admit that he looked sexy doing it. She tapped on the glass and pulled the neck of the robe out a bit, pulling her hair to one side and pointing at the hickeys decorating her neck.

Ulquiorra put the cigarette in his mouth and then gave her two thumbs up and grinned. He knew what he had done to her neck. She looked absolutely ravaged when he had been done with her. He took several more puffs before stubbing the cigarette out in the ashtray. He came in the door that was between his bedroom and the kitchen. “Something wrong, Miss Inoue?”

“I’m just glad you got me a scarf, if we go out I’m going to need it!”

“It really sounds like you’re complaining,” he said in a teasing manner. “Does the lady protest to being marked by her lover?”

She blushed and shook her head. “Would you… Okay you’re going to think I’m a pervert.”

Ulquiorra smirked. “You? A pervert? Why would I think that?”

S he loosened the sash on the robe and pulled the opening so that the robe exposed her shoulders, neck, and tops of her breasts. “I want you to take a picture.”

Underneath the robe his cock twitched. Underneath his calm demeanor, a demon rose to the surface and demanded that he take this woman back to his bed again. Ulquiorra opened his mouth then closed it again. He had never had someone ask him to do something so intimate or erotic. “Let me get my phone,” he murmured and took her by the hand to lead her back into the bedroom.

She followed without a word, struggling to dampen the grin that wanted to come out to a small smile. She had seen the hungry glint in his eyes.

As soon as they were back in the room, Ulquiorra picked up his phone and opened an app to adjust the lighting in the room. Then he opened the camera app. His eyes raked over Orihime’s body just as his teeth raked over his bottom lip. She was gorgeous like this. He took several photos of her and then threw the phone on the bed near the pillows. “Orihime,” he said.

“Yes?”

“I want to be inside of you again. I want to make love to you again. I want to mark you,” he said. Ulquiorra grabbed the sash of the robe and yanked on it, revealing his body before he shrugged it off. “Are you ready for me?”

She couldn’t contain that grin anymore. Her hands pulled at her sash again and she let the robe fall off her body. “What does it look like to you?” she asked when it hit the floor.

Once again he emitted a low growl. This woman knew how to turn him on. She knew how to push his buttons in a good way. It took him a second to practically scoop her off her feet and deposit her on the bed. Then Ulquiorra flipped Orihime over. “I want you again and again,” he said, voice heavy with lust.

“Good,” she purred, walking her knees together and raising her ass off the bed. “Then we are in agreement.”

He reached over and grabbed a condom out of the top drawer of the bedside table. He was tempted to say screw it but it would be rude and he never went raw in anyone before. He rolled the condom over his hard dick and slid into her and did not stop until he felt her ass against his hips. “Fuck,” he sighed.

“Hnngh,” she cooed, pressing back against him. She sunk her face into the mattress and held on the sheets. “You’re so… So…” She moaned into the comforter an unintelligent mewl.

Normally he would hold back, but Ulquiorra was too aroused. His hips snapped into her, hands gripping her hips and her ass. “I’m so what? Tell me, Woman. Tell me how I make you feel,” he demanded as his strokes started to speed up.

“You’re so  _ perfect, _ ” she cried out. “You feel like the perfect fit,” she called out, then squealed into the covers again. She wasn’t lying. He filled her. He stretched her. He did not hurt her. He was perfect.

He bit his lip as he pounded her into the mattress, holding back from coming too soon. He liked how she felt around him. Ulquiorra growled as he reached around her body, grabbed her tits and pulled her up against him. “I’m perfect, huh? So are you. You are perfect for me.” He kept fucking her like this.

She let her head loll back onto his shoulder, her arms hanging limp beside her, panting with each thrust. She turned her face towards him, moaning without censure. “You make me feel like… Like…” She had an idea but he kept distracting her, her overly sensitive parts reacting to him like a hair trigger.

His mouth latched onto hers for a moment, thrusting up into her. “Like what?” He asked, voice strained as he felt his body preparing to come.

“Like a queen,” she groaned, her hands reaching behind her and grabbing his sides. “I never want to stop.”

“Orihime—hnngh.” Sparks of pleasure ran through his arms and legs before going down his spine. He was going faster until he felt his body twitch and then he stilled. Ulquiorra could feel the condom being filled and his cock pulsing with every jet. “Fuck.”

As he stopped moving, she brought her arms up around his neck and kissed him. “I love you,” she said between heaving breaths.

He let his head drop to her shoulder, panting from the exertion. “I love you too,” he said, kissing her shoulder and making his way to her neck. “I meant to last longer but I played myself.”

She smiled and leaned forward a bit to let him off of her more easily, then laid on the mattress. “You are perfect. Don’t even-- Damn. I am a lucky girl.”

“Do you want to get off again? I can use my hand or just watch you get yourself off,” Ulquiorra looked at her with an almost feral smile for a second.

“Do you want me to? It won’t take long,” she teased, rolling over onto her back and spreading her legs. What had gotten into her? She blushed and closed them again. “Just kidding, you don’t want to see that.”

He scoffed. “Bullshit. I am male. I want to see how you get yourself off thinking of me,” Ulquiorra said, laying beside her and fondling her tits. “Show me. I want to learn.”

“The prodigy thinks he has more to learn? Okay,” she said, rolling slightly onto her side and facing him. She started staring at his body and brought her fingers to her clit, stroking it gently as she raised one knee up to point at the ceiling. She kept the slow pace up, her breathing controlled, hitching and releasing, until her face turned pink. Then she turned her dark eyes up to his, staring into them; into his soul, it felt like, as her belly starting to tremble with the threat of her impending orgasm.

The green-eyed man was taking in all the sights and sounds. He watched how her fingers worked against her. He studied how her breasts moved. When Orihime looked at him, he decided to help by slipping two fingers inside of her. “You’re so wet and tight.”

Immediately her entrance tightened around his fingers and she used her free hand to grip his shoulder, biting her lip and coming silently; holding her breath. When it was done, she closed her eyes and panted. “Thanks to you,” she breathed when she had the oxygen to do it.

He chuckled before getting up. “Are you going to need a towel to wipe up?”

She hummed a laugh. “Do you want to take a shower with me?”

“We can, but I like cool showers and you like warm ones. If you need to take one it’s fine. If you want me in there I can be.”

“Ulquiorra?”

“Yes, Orihime?”

“You can just tell me what you want. You don’t have to bend over backwards to accommodate me. I love you for who you are and what you do and how you like to do it. Just saying. If you don’t want a shower, a towel will be mightily appreciated,” she said with a small chuckle.

He let out a quiet sigh. She had noticed. His brain was screaming at him that he didn’t take showers at this time of day. “Okay. I’m going to wash up and I’ll bring you something to clean yourself off with. Lay there and relax, okay?”

“Yes sir,” she said lazily, stretching out and smiling with her eyes closed.


	36. Epilogue: Coffee & Happiness

“I’ll be home in about two hours. I just have to cool out Abby and let her back out. She was such a good girl today,” Orihime said to Ulquiorra on the phone, giving the light gray mare she kept at Highland Park a scratch between the ears. “Do you need me to pick anything up on my way?”

Ulquiorra sighed and scratched the back of his head. He was outside, smoking on his break. It had been two years and some months since that Christmas when they solidified their relationship. Orihime and he were still going strong. “Not that I can think of at the moment. Isn’t your book signing in Chicago this weekend? I have to go down to Coffee & Sadness down there and see how Rangiku is doing running her own store. I thought I would tag along with you. I was also thinking of calling Grimmjow and seeing if he wanted to do lunch.”

There was a pause from him as he went over the different thoughts in his head. “OH! Sometime this week, I have to get details, but Starrk’s Pub is opening this week, so we will have a party for that. And uh, I did find out some good news today while you were gone,” Ulquiorra finished his rambling.

“Oh? What is it?” she asked with a smile.

“Nnoitra was sentenced to life in prison for murdering one of his side hustle clients. I guess he really did a number on her and did some other awful things before they found parts of her in the lake,” Ulquiorra said. He took a drag from the cigarette and then exhaled. He had been wondering if he should have told Orihime this news or not. Ultimately he decided it might lighten her heart a bit to know it. “You’ll be free to visit Starrk’s bar without that asshole leering at you.”

“Oh my god,” Orihime said in a horrified tone. “That’s awful. That poor woman…” She shook her head and released her breath. “But I’m glad he’s out of the public realm for good. It’s been over three years. I miss Starrk’s. I wonder if I can handle absinthe anymore.” 

There was a snort from her horse. “Not you, Abby. The drink, Absinthe. And I only call you by your full name when you’re being naughty,” she teased the animal for Ulquiorra’s amusement.

He gave a chuckle. Suggesting that Orihime actually use the stable and barn on his property had been a good idea. It gave her something to do when she wasn’t writing books or working on something else. “So I’ll see you in a couple hours? I need to do some product testing tonight if you’re interested,” he said in a slightly suggestive tone. Ulquiorra shook his head at himself. He was a dork sometimes. “And then we can plan out things for this weekend and next week.”

“You are full of good ideas, my dear,” Orihime replied. “I would be lost without you and your ability to structure time. I’ll need a shower before I do any blind taste tests, though. I smell like a sweaty beast.” She was a dork, too.

***

Orihime arrived back at the apartment over Coffee & Sadness promptly two hours later. They spent long weekends, especially in summer, at the Highland Park property, but Ulquiorra’s apartment was where she called home, ever since she came back from the last book tour for “The Perfect Cup”. 

It had not been the last. Each year she and Byakuya worked on developing a new book and each had been successful. Orihime still was on the Rotten Brand Management payroll. She still did design for them. She got her nails done with Karen and Susan. She went out for drinks with Julie sometimes. She and Ulquiorra went out on Byakuya’s yacht with him and his girlfriend last summer. It was a surprisingly good fit for her. It was not a nine-to-five gig. She worked from home as often as she worked in the office, which was funny because they were right across the street from each other. 

Orihime just wasn’t cut out for corporate life. She could take it in small doses. In fact, she found that it was good for her mental well-being to switch it up from time to time, and kept her from falling _too_ deeply into her fantasy worlds.

It was just last summer when she had been out on a tour for her third book that she had heard a familiar voice.

“Can you say hi to Miss Orihime, Brady? You met her when you were littler.”

Orihime had looked up to see Lucy, and she was surprised at how happy it made her. The two women had exchanged contact information after she signed a copy of her book for Grimmjow and Lucy’s second child, Caitlin. 

It turned out that she and Lucy got along really, really well. They became friends quickly, and despite a bit of awkwardness in the beginning, Ulquiorra and Orihime had met up with the Jeagerjaques', socially, several times since then, and it hadn’t been bad.

Ulquiorra heard Orihime enter the apartment and left the computer desk to greet her. “Woman, I cancelled my lunch with Grimmjow this weekend. Instead I invited him and his family to stay with us during the fourth of July. I figured we can have a week-long vacation up at Highland Park. It would do some good to get those kids out of the city. How does that sound?” he asked after giving her a kiss.

Her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands twice. “Ooh! Ooh! Yes! Oh, I can give the kids pony rides on Peanut and Cocoa! Then after that me and Lucy can ditch them with you and Grimmjow and go shopping,” she teased. She had gotten the two little ponies to keep Abby company.

His eyes rolled and he smiled. “We can take them swimming in the pool and down to the beach. You ladies can live it up shopping in bougie stores,” he replied. “How is my Peanut Butter Cup?” Ulquiorra had a soft spot for the pony Orihime had named Peanut.

“He is naughty as usual. He got himself out of his stall and into the grain bin. Luckily Maggie was home and saw him or he’d be sick. He’s too smart for his own good. Cocoa, on the other hand, is still as dumb as a box of rocks. Sweet, though,” she said, then gave him a kiss. “Okay, unless you like the smell of sweaty horse, I have to go wash up. Give me ten minutes?”

Ulquiorra nodded, and when she disappeared into the bathroom, he went to the kitchen to pull out his newest creation. They were mini muffin sized cheesecakes with matcha and white chocolate drizzle. With a swift and careful hand, he plated the mini treats onto some plates and added some whipped cream. He also had some strawberry cheesecakes with dark chocolate drizzle. 

Orihime came out of the shower in the same bathrobe that had been designated as hers since that Christmas Eve she had first worn it. “Ooh, what is this?” she asked, spying the sweets on her way to the bedroom.

“I told you I had to test products. Will you be my guinea pig?”

“Always,” she said, turning towards the kitchen island and not bothering with clothes. She was much too interested in tasting his new creations. 

A smile adorned his face as he slid two plates over to his girlfriend. He liked watching her face and how she reacted to what his brain put together. “So, I’m still going to Chicago with you this weekend, do you want to come with me to see how Rangiku is holding up down there?”

Her eyebrow twitched slightly at the sound of the other woman’s name. She would rather not ever have to acknowledge her existence, but it wasn’t like it had been when she first returned to Evanston. Now she was just a mildly unpleasant memory for Orihime. “Sure, I’d like to see how the place looks, now, for sure.”

After Ulquiorra and Orihime made their arrangement official, Rangiku had become incredibly salty towards Orihime. It came to a head about a year ago when Ulquiorra had put his foot down, telling the woman off for her rudeness. He opened up a new Coffee & Sadness location down in Chicago and practically gave it to Rangiku. The place was successful. Occasionally he checked in to see how Rangiku was faring.

He had also opened up a third location in Milwaukee and sent Izuru up there to run that place. The only part of Ulquiorra’s original crew that was left in the Evanston store was Ethan, who became his afternoon and evening manager. “I saw that,” he stated with a smirk before he gave Orihime a fork and then cut into his own mini cheesecakes. 

“Yeah, well…” she let the thought trail off and put a bite of the strawberry cheesecake into her mouth and nearly wept. It was a dramatic overreaction for Ulquiorra’s benefit, but she had yet to have anything he made that she didn’t like, pumpkin spice lattes notwithstanding. After she swallowed the morsel she opened her eyes and said, “If I had not already claimed you as my own, I would have after that. Holy crap, that is good. Was that a hint of basil I tasted?”

Ulquiorra was impressed. He gave her a nod. “There is a bit in the strawberry topping. I thought it would give it a nice touch. I’m surprised you detected it with your junk food palate.”

“Hey!” she said to her own defense, “I will have you know that I am in my junior year of the Cifer Culinary Institute tasting course. I will not let my education go to waste.”

“Ha!” Ulquiorra laughed at his girlfriend. She was cute and dorky. “So I think the strawberry one is good but maybe use semi-sweet chocolate instead of dark. This is too bitter. For the matcha one, I think some lemon zest in the cheesecake might brighten it up a bit.”

As he spoke she had shoved the entire matcha one into her mouth and just nodded at his words. After she swallowed she said, “Yeah, this one is good but a bit of zing is always welcome. You know what else is welcome?”

“Hmmm?” he said, again impressed by her.

She hopped off the stool she had been sitting on and approached him, loosening the sash on the robe and letting it fall open. “Your hands all over me,” she said in her best attempt at a seductive voice as she slid her own hands up his front to rest at the back of his neck.

“Can I help you Miss Inoue?” Ullquiorra said, his hands worming under the fabric. “Perhaps a blind taste test is needed?”

“Mmm, I’ll defer to you, Professor,” she said with a sly grin, taking slow steps back.

***

Ulquiorra heard the gate buzz. He heard Maggie talking to someone and the short reply that followed. Grimmjow was here. Glancing over at Orihime, he stood from the table and stretched. “The circus is here,” he said.

“Yay!” she cheered, standing and stretching as well. They had been up a bit late the night before trying to get everything perfectly prepared before their guests arrived so that they could all relax and have a nice time. Unfortunately it had left them both a bit tired that morning, and their morning coffee still hadn’t taken full effect. Orihime stretched overhead and jogged in place a couple of steps before glancing at her boyfriend. “Last one there is a rotten egg,” she challenged him as she began to prance over to the doorway. 

He shook his head. He was getting too old to be running after her. Instead Ulquiorra took off at a fast walk over to the front door. “You’re slow, Orihime,” he said, catching up to and passing her.

“I am not!” she complained before she saw a flash of blue hair. “Hey guys! Glad you could make it!” she called out to the young family coming through the door before Ulquiorra had a chance to say anything.

“Hey guys,” Grimmjow said, coming through the door with a toddler in his arms and several bags over his shoulders. “Hey Ulq, hey Orihime. Look Cait, it’s Orihime. You like her books, and there’s Ulq.”

“Hello Grimmjow,” Ulquiorra said. He saw the blonde woman behind his friend and nodded at her. “Hello Lucy, welcome.”

“Hi Ulquiorra, how are you?” Lucy asked, opening her arms to him for a hug before turning her face towards Orihime and squealing, “We’re here!” The blonde was obviously very excited as she let go of Ulquiorra and ran over to Orihime and embraced her.

Grimmjow chuckled and let his daughter down so that he could set the bags he had down. “Where is Brady?” the blue-haired man asked. “C’mon Ulq, help me with the luggage.”

“Help yourself with the luggage,” Ulquiorra muttered.

Orihime rolled her eyes and tapped her boyfriend on the buttcheek lightly as she went past and grabbed the bags Grimmjow had dropped. “I know you poor, weak, helpless, tall men cannot possibly handle these things. Me and Lucy have it. C’mon, Luce, I’ll show you to where you two are staying,” she said, grinning at her friend. “Maggie, it’s the two on the first floor, right?” she called out to the housekeeper who had made herself scarce.

Maggie popped her head out of the butler’s pantry and began to lead the way. “Yes, just follow me,” she said as she disappeared down a hallway.

Lucy laughed and smiled at her husband, taking Caitlin’s hand and calling out for Brady, who followed her after Orihime and Maggie. “Come on, you guys will probably get a great view of the lake from the rooms we’re staying in! Make sure you say thank you to Uncle Ulq when you come back out,” she said quietly to her children.

Ulquiorra followed Grimmjow outside, wearing a baseball cap and something that would cover his arms from the sun. He was 29 years old and still burned badly. He looked at Grimmjow, who stood by an SUV. His friend was grinning like a madman. “What?” he asked.

“So you’re gonna hit the dirty thirty this year. How does it feel to be old? You need to get a minivan and have a midlife crisis,” Grimmjow said as he unloaded bags onto the driveway.

“Who are you calling old? You’re older than I am.”

“By a year,” Grimmjow replied. The amused expression dropped and Grimmjow’s tone took a serious turn. “Uh, look, I need to do something while we’re here.”

Ulquiorra’s eyebrow raised and then he scowled. “What?”

The other man plunked his butt on the back of the vehicle. “It’s something I need to get off my chest, and I promised Lucy I would do it. I need to apologize to Orihime for how I treated her.”

The look on Ulquiorra’s face intensified and his nostrils flared. “I swear to god if you upset her, I will throw your ass in the lake. I will shank you.”

“I knew you were a criminal.” The madman grin was back on Grimmjow’s face.

Ulquiorra was not amused.

A heavy sigh. “Fine. I’m not looking to upset her. It’s something that needs to be laid to rest between me and Hime. I know I did her wrong.”

The green-eyed man’s mouth formed a thin line. “You should have never put her through that in the first place just because you didn’t want her to be with me,” Ulquiorra stated before grabbing several suitcases by the handles. 

“Ulq, I know. Having a daughter of my own has made me realize this. I would kill anyone who hurt Cait like I hurt Orihime.” Grimmjow sighed and Ulquiorra saw his shoulders droop. 

This was obviously something that had been bothering him for a while. “I will inform Orihime of this and it will be her decision,” he said before turning and going back into the house.

***

That first day was full of fun and sunshine. The kids had pony rides and the two couples and the kids took a short stroll on the beach before dinner. After dinner, Orihime gave the children a dramatic reading of all three of her books, plus another that was not published yet. The fourth was about two ponies named Peanut and Cocoa, and how they helped their tall horse friend, Abby, navigate a world made for shorter animals.

When she finished, she presented them with two plushies: a chubby pale palomino pony with a tag that said “Peanut,” which she gave to Brady, and a soft brown one with a tag that read “Cocoa”, which she gave to Caity. She hadn’t mentioned to anyone that Byakuya had made some prototype merchandise for this new book. He had grand ideas of an animated series and play figures for young children based on these new characters. He said it was the project that would launch Rotten Brand Management into a new market.

Orihime didn’t care for any of that, although she was glad that her boss was so happy and excited. As she put the books away and sat up off the ottoman in front of the fireplace, Lucy told the kids that it was time for bed, and Orihime made eye contact with her ex-boyfriend. She had agreed to hear him out.

Grimmjow gave a heavy sigh as the room emptied. Well, almost emptied. Ulquiorra was hanging around the island in the kitchen, scrolling through his phone. He wanted to be present for this… Just in case.

He wasn’t sure what he meant. He had no plans on upsetting Orihime. This guilt had been sitting on his shoulders for a long time. Ever since she had said those three words to him, it had been sitting there. The blue-haired man knew he had been in love with someone else all those years ago. He just didn’t want to admit it and he was being petty trying to keep Orihime for himself because heaven forbid Ulquiorra was happy.

His friend was happy now. There were subtle changes in the green-eyed man that lifted Grimmjow’s spirit. He was silent for a moment as he studied the redhead woman. She was confident and more self assured. Being around Ulquiorra was a good thing for Orihime.

It was her right if she rejected his apology. He had done what made him happy at the expense of her emotions. “I am sorry that I jerked you around years ago. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Brady or Lucy sooner. I apologize for breaking your heart. I’m sorry that I was spiteful and petty after the breakup. I’m not looking for your forgiveness. I wanted to clear the air between us.” 

Orihime didn’t have any initial reaction. She honestly didn’t expect to ever hear those words from him, and now that she had, she didn’t know how to feel. Her eyes drifted off to the side and she nodded slowly -absently- as she made her way to the sofa and sat.

“Take a seat, Grimmjow,” she finally said after a minute. Her voice was pleasant.

She watched him uncomfortably consider her invitation for a moment and then her thoughts drifted inward. She examined her feelings and found that she didn’t need his apology. She smirked, and her shoulders jerked a bit with an unvoiced laugh. When she looked back up at him, there was a serene look on her face, at least until she saw Grimmjow’s confusion. She smiled at him and asked, “What?”

“I don’t know. You just… Why do I need to sit?” Grimmjow asked.

It was Ulquiorra who chimed in. “Because she asked you too. If you want her to hear you out and take you seriously, you’ll do it.”

There was a heavy sigh and Grimmjow sat down in one of the side chairs. “Okay, I’m sitting.”

Orihime glanced at Ulquiorra and gave him a crooked smile, letting him know this was okay and she was not upset. Then she turned her attention to Grimmjow.

“Well, thank you for saying that, Grimmjow. It makes me happy that you care enough to say it. But you don’t need my forgiveness,” she said, smiling at him kindly and shaking her head from side to side slowly. “You aren’t him.”

His confusion was etched on his face. Grimmjow arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean I’m not him?”

She chuckled softly. “I mean, you’re not the same guy as the one I dated. You’re a responsible father. You’re a great husband to one of my best friends. You’re a best friend to the most important person in my life. I don’t know if I’ll ever totally forgive my exes, but Grimmjow, you’re not that guy. You’re my friend,” she said, her face growing a bit more serious, but her eyes still gentle as she found his and held the gaze.

Grimmjow’s brow furrowed this time. He frowned as he reflected on her words. “Thank you, Orihime. I appreciate that,” he said finally after several long moments.

She nodded once and stood up. “Good. Water under the bridge. Now, as soon as those kiddos are asleep, we should all go out on the deck, have a glass of wine, and watch some fireworks over the lake. What do you think, Ulquiorra?”

He nodded. “Pick out a bottle and I’ll get the glasses on a tray.” Ulquiorra looked at Grimmjow and motioned for the man to leave the room and soon as he was gone, Ulquiorra approached Orihime. “I’m proud of you, you know.”

She put her arms around his waist and looked up at him. “You are? Why?”

“Because you’ve really matured over the past couple of years. You’ve done really well for yourself. I love watching you everyday. You should change the name of your blog though. I know a guy who’d be willing to buy it,” he said with a smile.

She laughed and shook her head. He was still after the domain name? “Oh yeah? Do you have an idea for a new blog name?” she asked, returning his smile.

“Coffee and Happiness.”

She kissed him and smiled. “It’s perfect. I love you, Ulquiorra.”

He kissed her back. “I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the end of C&S. Sometimes this was a bit hard to write as I was going through a lot of things at the time. I want to thank JKR for having patience with me. She's always been a creative rock in my life. Thank you my lady. <3 Thank you to our readers who leave comments and kudos. We really enjoy the praise and insights you all lavish on us. - EIV
> 
> That's the end! I'm having a hard time articulating my feelings about this story. By and large it has been a favorite of mine, although it was a struggle to finish. I'm not quite satisfied with it ending. Although I really think that parts of it is the best we've ever done... I guess I feel like there was a lot more to this story that could have been told, but you have to end it sometime. Big thanks to all of you who've read and reviewed - your support is what makes us want to keep going. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks, too, to EIV, for finishing this one with me despite not really wanting to much of the time. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if we had left it undone. See you in the next one! - JKR

**Author's Note:**

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> [HERE ON TUMBLR](https://jkrobertson.tumblr.com/)  
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> 


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